Kaya basically means coconut egg jam. Its texture is thick and rich, hence, the name kaya which means rich in Malay. I dare not claim this jam to be authentically Malaysian as it is also found in other parts of Southeast Asia....but it is madly popular in Malaysia. I haven't met a Malaysian who doesn't love kaya.
A good kaya would have a rich aromatic smell of coconut and pandan besides the sweet flavourful taste of eggy coconut. Its texture should be thick, creamy and smooth but not runny. Heat control and distribution is essential in kaya making. If your kaya is lumpy and custardy, it means the heat is too hot or not well distributed. Hence, certain part got cooked faster and solidify (or you did not stir properly, exposing certain parts to high heat).
Making kaya is rather straightforward. All you have to do is mix everything up and stir. The real "kung fu" is to get the kaya as smooth as possible without compromising the taste. I have had my fair share of misses before I managed to get the kaya to be smooth. If you follow exactly this recipe, you might be able to get that creamy smooth kaya that your friends would rave about. Worth a try!
Pandan Kaya
Ingredients
3 eggs
260 ml coconut milk
2 tbsp pandan liquid
170 g sugar
Cooking Instruction
1. In a mixing bowl, break eggs and add sugar. Whisk lightly to incorporate the two together. Do not over whisk.
2. Add coconut milk and pandan liquid. Mix until sugar dissolves.
3. Pour mixture into a cooking pot through a sieve. Add pandan leaves. Put pot on top of another pot filled with boiling water. Let the steam slowly cook the mixture (double boiling). Keep heat to the lowest, stirring occasionally. As mixture starts to thicken, start to stir constantly. Continue to stir until mixture thickens. Once the mixture coats your wooden spoon well, remove from heat. It took me about 35 minutes for this recipe. If you cook a bigger amount, your time will be longer.
4. Cool completely before storing.
Notes:
1. Kaya needs to cool completely before storing to avoid any moisture in the jar due to evaporation. The moisture will cause the kaya to go bad faster.
2. Cooking kaya needs patience. Keep fire to the lowest to avoid lumps.
3. If your kaya is lumpy, put it into a blender and give it a swirl.
4. The colour of the jam is directly affected by the pandan leaves you use. If you want a dark rich colour, try getting old pandan leaves. I like mine slightly brighter.
Click here for Hainanese version
Cooking Instruction
1. In a mixing bowl, break eggs and add sugar. Whisk lightly to incorporate the two together. Do not over whisk.
2. Add coconut milk and pandan liquid. Mix until sugar dissolves.
3. Pour mixture into a cooking pot through a sieve. Add pandan leaves. Put pot on top of another pot filled with boiling water. Let the steam slowly cook the mixture (double boiling). Keep heat to the lowest, stirring occasionally. As mixture starts to thicken, start to stir constantly. Continue to stir until mixture thickens. Once the mixture coats your wooden spoon well, remove from heat. It took me about 35 minutes for this recipe. If you cook a bigger amount, your time will be longer.
4. Cool completely before storing.
Notes:
1. Kaya needs to cool completely before storing to avoid any moisture in the jar due to evaporation. The moisture will cause the kaya to go bad faster.
2. Cooking kaya needs patience. Keep fire to the lowest to avoid lumps.
3. If your kaya is lumpy, put it into a blender and give it a swirl.
4. The colour of the jam is directly affected by the pandan leaves you use. If you want a dark rich colour, try getting old pandan leaves. I like mine slightly brighter.
Click here for Hainanese version
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