lovely DD kk's own "lovely love kaya"

Kaya - coconut egg jam

This recipe is for all the lovely cats from mao city in Malaysia.

This is a really good kaya (egg jam) that is without any

coloring or artificial stuff that those sold in jars. It is also very

simple but requires lotsa skill. Even I have trouble with it. I plan to

perfect it and pass it on to my generations to come :)

INGREDIENTS

coconut milk from 2 coconuts (Ayam brand works well)

400 g sugar

10 eggs

PROCEDURE:

It must be pure and undiluted. If you get the canned or tetrapak stuff from

the supermarket (Ayam Brand for canned or Kara for the pak) make sure you

filter the milk. I usually find lots of coconut bits in these supermarket

packaged ones. Best to filter it through a fine colander or a fine mesh

sieve. If you have bought the shredded coconut bits and have to squeeze the

milk out, there is a good way to do this. Fill those big coffee bags that

are used by the kopi-tiams with the shredded coconut. Squeeze it with all

your might and make sure you squeeze it till it is dry. DO NOT DILUTE! and

do not waste a single drop. Torture the bag like you are killing someone

you hate :)

Now that the coconut milk part is over, it is time to make the kaya.

Using an electric beater, beat the eggs at medium speed slightly. Just

enough the break the yolks.

Add all the sugar and beat at full speed. Mix thoroughly. Stop the beating,

add the coconut milk and beat full speed to mix thoroughly. When the sugar

has finally dissolved. Pour to a clean steel pot and cook it over a slow

fire with CONSTANT STIRRING! Whatever it is there is no shortcut. If you

have to stand there stirring for an hour, you have to. Do not use ceramic

pots as they will hold the heat for too long and may give rise to burns.


The kaya will change color from the eggy-white (from the eggs and coconut

milk) to a redish-brown like gravy. This is due to the caramels forming

from the sugar. It will also thicken. Keep stirring the bottom to prevent

the bottom from burning. Burns spoil the kaya taste. If possible, lower the

flame even more. Once when the eggy-white color is completely replaced by

the redish-brown color, stop and leave aside to cool. At this time, you

have to protect the kaya from naughty kittens coming in to lick it.


After it has cooled, you can bottle it in jars and refrigerate. This stuff

can last for 3 days in room temperature, that is before the ants get to it.


NOTES:

I had better success using freshly squeezed coconut milk than the canned or

packed ones.


Do not adulterate this recipe by adding additional flavorings. It just

spoils it. Pandan leaves don't cut well with it and same with vanilla

essence. It has to be enjoyed as is.


How to eat it? Only on bread. This is not exactly a health food. It has

lots of cholesterol and calories. I suggest eliminating eggs if you plan to

eat it for breakfast. If you want a cholesterol fest, try spreading it on

hot french toast that is fried in butter. A taste that is so good it could

kill :) 

Heating by direct heat is usually too hot. Unless you have a burner that
has a very low flame setting. What is is better as I have found out is

to use a double boiler. You still need to stir it but the chances of

burning kaya are eliminated.

-------------------------

Anyway, here goes for the improvements. I present to you speedy kaya! All ingredients and their amounts are the same.

Mix the sugar and coconut milk together in a microwavable bowl. A plastic one will do just fine. Mix with a wire whisk and set aside. Don't worry if the sugar has dissolved or not.

Break eggs into a 1-litre beaker. Beat the eggs until they are well mixed. Make sure there are no bits of egg white present. The chalaza (stringy thing) that holds the yolk in place is the hardest to get rid of. Try not to create much foam. Just mix the eggs. Set aside.

Return back to the coconut milk and sugar mixture. Mix with a wire whisk briefly and pop it into the microwave oven. Zap it for 1 min on high. Remove and stir with the wire whisk. Pop it back in and repeat the zapping with the same power setting and time. Do this repeatedly until the sugar has completely dissolved. By now the mixture is hot but not boiling.

While the mixture is hot, stir it with the wire whisk and at the same time stream the eggs. Yes, pour the eggs in a slow steady stream. The mixture will thicken slightly. Once finished, pop the mixture into the microwave oven. Zap on high for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Repeat until the kaya has a off green-brown color and the mixture traces. By traces, I mean that the whatever utensil you use to stir forms impressions.

There you have it speed kaya. No burns and faster.

OK, crucial factors in kaya making. Sugar in not the important one. Its the eggs and coconut milk. Both have to be fresh for maximum flavor. For some strange reason it is called egg jam. Technically, it is coconut curd. Because lemon curd is made almost the same way and both need eggs to be curdled. The coconut determines the fragrance and taste of the kaya mainly just as lemons do for lemon curd.

I made the above with an 800W microwave. I did some other batches where I lowered the power and this yielded smoother kaya. This is crucial when after you have added the eggs. You just have to repeat the microwaving more often and this take a longer time.