Malaysian
Pandan Kaya (Coconut Egg Jam)
Whisk eggs with sugar, thick coconut milk and fresh pandan juice, then stir it over a pan of barely simmering water for about 45 minutes until thick and glossy; about 1 hour for 2 small jars.
Kaya is the silky, sweet coconut and egg jam spread on toast with a slice of cold butter for the classic kopitiam breakfast. This green version is flavoured with fresh pandan juice and cooked slowly over a pan of simmering water, with patient stirring, until it turns thick and glossy. It needs only five ingredients and a little time, and it tastes much fresher than most jars.
- Serves 16
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 50 min
- Total: 1 hr 5 min
Ingredients
- 8 pandan leaves
- 60 ml water
- 5 eggs
- 200 g caster sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 250 ml thick coconut milk
Method
- Cut 6 of the pandan leaves into pieces and blend them with the water. Squeeze the pulp through a muslin cloth or fine sieve; you need about 50 ml pandan juice. Tie the other 2 leaves into a knot.
- Whisk the eggs, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl for 2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the coconut milk and pandan juice, then strain the mixture into a clean heatproof bowl and add the knotted leaves.
- Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure it does not touch the water. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the sides and bottom, until it begins to thicken.
- Keep cooking for 30 to 35 minutes more, stirring every 2 minutes, until the kaya is thick and glossy and coats the spatula heavily. If small lumps form, whisk hard for 30 seconds.
- Remove the pandan leaves. Spoon the kaya into clean, dry jars, leave it to cool, then cover and refrigerate. It thickens further as it cools.
Tips
- Brown kaya: melt 50 g of the sugar in a dry pan until it turns a deep amber caramel, carefully whisk in 60 ml of the coconut milk off the heat, and add it to the eggs in step 2.
- Smooth finish: if the kaya turns lumpy, blend it for 10 seconds while it is still warm.
- Kaya toast: spread kaya thickly on hot toast, add a thin slice of cold butter, and close it into a sandwich.
- Storage: keep kaya in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and always use a clean spoon.
Questions
Why is my kaya lumpy?
The heat was too high or it was not stirred often enough, so the eggs set in places. Keep the water barely simmering, stir often, and blend the warm kaya for 10 seconds to make it smooth again.
How long does homemade kaya keep?
Up to 1 week in a clean jar in the refrigerator. Always use a clean, dry spoon.
Can I make kaya without fresh pandan leaves?
Yes. Use 1/2 tsp pandan paste for colour and aroma, or leave it out for a plain coconut kaya.
What is the difference between green and brown kaya?
Green kaya is flavoured and coloured with pandan. Brown kaya, often called Nyonya or Hainanese style, gets its colour and deeper taste from caramelised sugar.
Is this kaya halal?
The recipe is pork-free and lists no alcohol. It is not halal-certified: check that the coconut milk and any pandan paste carry halal certification.
A Dada Cooking original recipe. Quantities are metric first, with US amounts in brackets.