Kaya (Malaysian Coconut Egg Jam) Recipe

Kaya (Malaysian Coconut Egg Jam) on home made Milk Toast

Happy Friday everyone! 

Since I like Friday to be sweet, I am going to share my take on this ever popular Malaysian jam called Kaya. It is a very fragrant and sweet jam made from coconut milk, sugar, eggs and pandanus leaves. Usually eaten on buttered toast, it can also commonly used as a filling in pastries and buns. You can also slather it on top of waffles, pancakes, crumpets, the list goes on! 

The ingredients I use for Kaya

Most families will have their own recipe for Kaya, passed down through the generations. However, the trick about making this jam is that it has to be constantly (I greatly emphasise the word "constant" here) stirred over a double boiler for at least an hour. Because of this time consuming method, most people nowadays have opted for commercially produced Kaya. I think that if you could spare the time, nothing beats a homemade Kaya. The fragrance will knock you over and you will smile when you eat it simply because you know it is a labour of love.

Kaya and warm melted butter sandwiched between homemade Milk Toast

The recipe I am sharing today uses brown sugar. It produces a rougher more granular texture in the Kaya as compared to using castor sugar. I do find that I prefer the richer more caramelised taste and texture of brown sugar. Maybe it is because it is the way my mama makes it. Funny how a jam can trigger memories of an 8 year old you standing over the stove helping to stir the Kaya! 

You can always substitute for castor sugar or use a combination of half castor sugar and the other half of brown sugar. If you do not have a double boiler, do not despair, just place a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Magic can still happen. You just have to, you know it - stir. 

Recipe for Kaya (Malaysian Coconut Egg Jam)

Ingredients

4 whole Eggs

180gm Brown Sugar

400ml Coconut Milk

4 Pandanus Leaves (knotted)

Method

1. In a bowl, combine Brown Sugar and Eggs and whisk until sugar has dissolved.

2. Next, add in the Coconut Milk and stir until combined. Strain mixture into another bowl and place it over a pot of simmering water.

3. Stir. You need to stir evenly especially from the bottom of the bowl. Put in the Pandanus Leaves and continue to stir.

4. Keep stirring for about 75 minutes, the Kaya is ready when the mixture has thicken and is spreadable but not runny.

5. Once cooked, remove and store cooled Kaya in the refrigerator.