KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 — What do you get when you combine eggs, sugar, and coconut milk, flavoured with pandan? Oh nothing much really... just the most delicious, mouth-watering coconut jam ever. Really.

Known as “kaya”‘ here in Malaysia, this thick and glossy spread is a must-have in most Malaysian households. “Kaya” literally means “rich” in Malay, and this word perfectly describes the taste of this spread.

It has a rich, sweet flavour with distinct hints of coconut and eggs.

There are two variants of “kaya”; the original which is a beautiful brown colour, and the pandan-flavoured one, which has a hint of green courtesy of the pandan leaves, known to some as screwpine leaves.

The perfect “kaya” is one with just the right colour and a smooth, even texture without any unsightly lumps. The colour of the kaya depends on the extent of caramelisation of the sugar during the cooking process.

The key to perfect caramelisation is simple; sugar to gently break down and caramelise, added with the coconut milk and the eggs. Using a double boiler is of tremendous help in ensuring uniform heating, which prevents any burning from occurring.

Although “kaya” is widely available in Asian countries, nothing beats making it at home to ensure it is free from preservatives and artificial colouring.

For me, preparing the “kaya” myself gives me extra satisfaction when I’m eating it. The most common way to enjoy it would be on a slice of toast with butter; the hot, crunchy toast combined with the gentle melting of the butter and sweetness of the kaya is simply exquisite and very Malaysian!

Kaya

Preparation time: < 5 minutes
Cooking time: < 10 minutes
Serves 10-12

Ingredients:
4 large chicken eggs
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoon coconut cream
A bunch of pandan leaves, knotted

1. Crack eggs into a large bowl.

2. Using a fork, break the egg yolks and roughly mix the eggs.

3. Add sugar and coconut cream and mix well.

4. Heat a pot of water over high heat. Wait until it boils vigorously.

5. In another clean pot add egg mixture, knotted pandan leaves and place over a pot of water, making sure it does not touch boiling water in the bottom pot.

6.  Diligently stir pandan egg mixture until you achieve a smooth consistency. This should take about 5 minutes.

7. Pour kaya into a clean bowl.

8. Eat with toast.

9. Keep remaining kaya (if there is any!) in the refrigerator for up to five days.

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