Kaya
Growing up, kaya was actually never my favourite spread of choice. My vote would have gone to the relatively exotic peanut butter or maybe Nutella. Kaya was (and is still) commercially packaged in boring, plain plastic containers, and found in most Asian diners, from kopitiams to cha chaan tengs. It just didn’t feel all that special.
It wasn’t until my father started making kaya using the recipe below that I started appreciating it more - this is my grandmother’s recipe, and living hours away from Malaysia must have made him a little homesick. The internet’s full of little hacks that promise to simplify kaya, but they’re mainly poppycock - kaya is a real labour of love. It’s primarily made up of eggs, and so has to be cooked slowly and carefully over low heat, lest it curdle (which usually is the point of no return, but take a look at my pandan kaya basque cheesecake). I’ve stabilised this a little here by using a water bath (which you can also ignore if too faffy) - but depending on the bowl being used and amount of kaya being made, this process can take hours of constant stirring with a wooden spoon (it’s great for gains, but just on the one arm).
Since moving miles away from home, kaya has become a comfort, and a home away from home. Just as my dad has always considered Milo (the quintessential Australian / South East Asian drink) medicinal, I think there’s nothing that can’t be fixed with a generous slice of kaya toast, naturally topped with a slab of butter. This recipe is actually a half portion of the original - and yet, still produces at least three 200ml jars for me at a time. It’s perfect for sharing, and for showing someone special that you care (whilst still having a snack for yourself!).
Ingredients:
6 fresh pandan leaves, knotted
½ a mug of white sugar
60g of gula melaka, shaved (note: this is roughly half of a “block”, which gula melaka is usually packaged in. Soft brown sugar might work as a substitute.)
5 eggs
400ml of coconut milk (i.e. 1 tin - this will only work with thick coconut milks, so hit up the Asian grocers for this!)
Combine the gula melaka, white sugar and coconut milk and the pandan leaf knot in a glass bowl. Slowly mix and cook this over a water bath (set at medium to low heat), until the mixture is simmering (it should feel warm if you place a hand over the bowl).
In the meantime, whisk the eggs together until no lumps remain - it shouldn’t be frothy.
Once the mixture is simmering, ladle in a little coconut mixture into the eggs, whilst rapidly stirring the eggs. Continue mixing so that the eggs and coconut milk are well combined, and the eggs are slightly warmed up.
Slowly pour the now-warmed up egg mixture into the bigger bowl of coconut milk whilst stirring the coconut milk.
Cook the mixture (whilst constantly stirring) until it reduces and forms a paste. You’ll know it’s ready when it can coat the back of a wooden spoon, and you can draw a line through the coat of kaya and the line holds (i.e. the kaya has set).
Pour into clean jam jars and let cool - these can go into the fridge once they’re fully cooked, and will last around 3-4 weeks.