Hello Again & Kaya Jam Recipe
Hello there! It's been quite a while since I last updated the blog. I managed to get back into the swing of things in October last year after a bit of a hiatus, and I published a few posts. But here we are, in 2015 already—Happy New Year! (Though it’s a little late to be saying that!)
I’m not quite sure where to start. There’s been a huge change in our lives since my last post—we’re now proud parents of a baby boy! That pretty much explains my absence from blogging. I’ve still been keeping up with updates on Facebook and Instagram here and there, though.
Taking care of a newborn is no joke! It’s been an incredible challenge, and I’ve had much less time to devote to the blog. I’m still working on establishing a routine for my little one, and I’m hopeful that once we settle into a rhythm, I’ll have more time to blog again. Though there may be fewer updates for now, rest assured, I’ll never stop blogging! 🙂
I’ve still been cooking, mostly quick and easy meals along with some of my usual favorites that are already on the blog, like [this one] and [this one].
Just last week, I made one of my all-time favorite spreads—Kaya, also known as Serikaya. Kaya is a rich, creamy jam made from coconut milk, eggs, and sugar. The word "Kaya" actually means “rich” in Malay, which is fitting because of its luxurious taste and texture. One key ingredient is pandan leaf, which adds its signature fragrance. You’ll often find Kaya in two colors—green, when pandan extract is added, and brown, which comes from caramelized sugar.
Kaya is typically enjoyed on toast for breakfast, though it’s also used in some desserts made with glutinous rice. Personally, I love it spread on toast—the combination of coconut milk and pandan is simply heavenly!
The recipe I’m sharing takes about 45 minutes to an hour to make, but the result is a silky-smooth jam that’s absolutely worth the effort. I’m planning to try a quicker method soon, where you cook everything in a saucepan over low heat. In the meantime, why not give this recipe a go? It makes two 370g jars of jam. Kaya is so addictive—we finished both jars in less than two weeks!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
400ml coconut milk
8 eggs
300g sugar
2 pandan leaves, knotted
8 pandan leaves, cut into strips
Method:
1. To make the pandan essence, put the cup pandan leaves in a blender with some water and blend until it becomes a paste. Pour over a strainer and squeeze out the juice and set aside.
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl, whisk until combine. Strain over into a bigger heat proof bowl, then add in coconut milk and sugar. Whisk until all ingredients are combined and the sugar is dissolved. Then, add the knotted pandan leaves.
3. Bring about an 5-6cm of water to a simmer in a saucepan or pot. Set the heatproof bowl in the mouth of the saucepan or pot, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture regularly. It takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour for the mixture to thicken. Once the mixture starts to thicken, add in the pandan juice, stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely and store in a dry, clean jar in the fridge.
