Homemade Kaya Recipe

Homemade Kaya Recipe (30 March 2013)


Kaya is a local coconut jam that is popular in Malaysia and Singapore. It is often eaten during breakfast with bread or toast. It is also applied on pulut tatai and biscuits. My wife makes kaya whenever she has a craving for it. When making the kaya, she uses a small bowl to measure in equal ratio the amount of eggs, sugar, and coconut milk. By doing so, she does away with weighing. One bowl of eggs, one bowl of sugar and one bowl of coconut milk, and that's the "old grandma style" of measuring!

Utensils

- Double boiler. If you do not have one, use a pot and put a stainless steel bowl over it.

Ingredients

To make the kaya mixture
- eggs, break into a bowl
- sugar, same volume as the egg in the bowl
- coconut milk, also same volume as the egg in the bowl.
- pandan leaves, cleaned and knotted

To make the caramel
- 3 tablespoons of sugar or more, depending on the volume

Steps

- Break eggs into a container. Add sugar and one third of the coconut milk.
- Stir until sugar dissolved using a whisk.
- Strain into a stainless steel container.
- Double boil the mixture.
- Put in the knotted pandan leaves and use it to stir the mixture until it thickens.
- To make caramel, put the 3 tablespoons of sugar into a small pan over a medium-low fire, and stir until it caramelises to a golden brown, like the colour of honey. Take care not to over burn it as it will give a bitter taste.
- Pour the caramel into the thickened kaya, stir until the colour blends nicely. If the colour is not dark enough, make more caramel and add it to the kaya.
- Pour the balance santan into the mixture and stir until it is well mixed.
- Cover the lid of the double boiler with cloth to prevent the water of the steam from dripping onto the kaya.
- Double boil for one hour, stirring every twenty minutes or so.
- The kaya is done.

Mixture after straining and put on double boil to thicken. (30 March 2013)


Mixture after putting in the caramel and balance coconut milk. (30 March 2013)


The kaya, after steaming for one hour. (30 March 2013)

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