NYONYA KAYA (COCONUT CUSTARD)

NYONYA KAYA (COCONUT CUSTARD)

(Makes about 2 cups Kaya)

This is cooked by steaming which will result in a thick, granules-like texture sweet coconut custard. The reason being the Nyonyas eat it with their rice cakes or kuih and require it to be thick and not drip over but stay as a lump!

Ingredients:

6 kampung eggs

280 ml coconut milk

500 g sugar + 3 tbsp extra

5 Pandanus leaves

Method:

1. In a double boiler, mix eggs with sugar and stir until almost all sugar melted. You cannot get all d sugar melted because it wld have reached a saturated point.

2. Prepare water in the bottom half of the double boiler and put to boil in medium heat. Put your egg and sugar mixture that has been mixed in the double boiler over the water bath and continue to stir until all sugar has melted. Add the pandan leaves to the mixture.

3. Pour in the coconut milk and stir to mix well. Cover and let it steam for 1 hour.

4. In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 3 tbsp sugar in medium heat and let it caramelised to a rich brown colour. Be careful not to burn the sugar.

5. Pour the caramel into the kaya mixture and stir gently.

Cover and continue to steam for another 2 hours.

6. Remove from fire and spoon into mason jars while still hot.

Alternatively you can let Kaya cool completely before storing into airtight plastic containers.

Tip: The most important step is to get the sugar crystals all melted without cooking the egg and before adding d coconut milk. You can do this over a warm water bath. Once the coconut milk is added to the mixture the custard will start to set and the unmelted sugar cannot be dissolved any more.