Flavorful dips and spreads are a number of the biggest presents I give to myself. Baba ganoush, onion dip, and straight cream cheese all have the power to raise something from a lobster omelette to a pretzel stick. For candy functions, there’s kaya jam. This queen of coconut condiments pairs nicely slathered on toast or layered in a cake. Better of all, it’s easy sufficient to make in your house kitchen.
Kaya jam, at its most elemental, is a coconut custard thickened with egg. It’s thick like lemon curd, candy with out being cloying, has a fragile coconut taste with notable natural, grassy notes, and the colour ranges from a toasty brown to emerald inexperienced. The grassy notes and the inexperienced coloration come from a flavorful plant referred to as pandan. This grass is well-liked in Southeast Asian delicacies and used as a flavoring in quite a lot of contexts. It’s blended with water and added to desserts as an extract, braised with meats, and wrapped round fish. It’s described as shiny, verdant, and typically as giving vanilla-vibes. (Learn right here for extra on pandan.)
Relying on the place you reside, pandan may be accessible close to you. Examine the Asian grocery shops in your space for recent or frozen leaves. You can even order pandan flavoring merchandise on-line. For those who can’t discover it, it’s okay. The kaya will nonetheless style pleasant, if lacking the aromatics. I omit pandan within the following recipe, however you might add a ½ teaspoon of pandan extract or vanilla extract if you’d like just a little somethin’.
The process within the following recipe is sort of similar to creating lemon curd. For those who’ve by no means performed that, learn on. Warmth the coconut milk (full-fat, please), salt, white sugar, and palm sugar in a medium-sized pot over medium-low warmth. Palm sugar is generally within the baking part or worldwide aisle on the grocery retailer. You possibly can substitute in coconut sugar, or brown sugar if that works greatest for you, however the flavors are subtly completely different between these three. Have the egg yolks in a medium bowl prepared with a whisk.
Stir the coconut milk combination with a rubber spatula. As soon as the sides begin to bubble, and visual steam is rising from the pot, flip off the warmth and mood the egg yolks with the combination. Slowly add the new liquid to the eggs, whereas concurrently whisking. This may carry up the temperature with out curdling the yolks. Most frequently, of us pour slowly immediately from the pot, or they’ll use a ladle. When you will have about 75% of the coconut combination in with the egg yolks, return all of it again to the pot. Flip the warmth again on medium-low to low, and continuously stir the combination with the rubber spatula. It’s going to slowly start to thicken. It would take between 5 and ten minutes, however don’t rush it or you might cook dinner the eggs into lumps.
As soon as the combination is thick sufficient to coat the spatula, however not as thick as pudding, you may flip off the warmth. Run this combination by way of a sieve (in the event you’re afraid of lumps, nevertheless it’s not vital), and right into a bowl. It’s common for the combination to have one thing of a textured look, nevertheless it ought to really feel clean if you eat it. Place plastic wrap in opposition to the floor to stop a pores and skin from forming and chill it within the fridge till set, about one to a few hours.
Unfold this pleasant coconut concoction in between two slices of toast with butter for a dish referred to as kaya toast, or add a dollop to your muffin, ice cream, or in a single day oats. I do know I stated I take advantage of kaya jam for candy snacks, nevertheless it’s common for kaya toast to be loved in Singapore with soft-boiled eggs and soy sauce. Hold the kaya jam well-covered and saved within the fridge for as much as per week.
Pandan-less Kaya Jam
Substances:
- ½ can (about 6.5 ounces) full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar, chopped if stable (substitute coconut sugar or brown sugar)
- ¼ cup white sugar
- Pinch salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 teaspoon pandan or vanilla extract (optionally available)
In a medium pot, add the coconut milk, sugars, and salt. Cook dinner over medium-low warmth, stirring often with a rubber spatula.
Put the egg yolks in a medium bowl, and whisk them to interrupt them up. Hold the whisk helpful. As soon as the milk combination begins effervescent alongside the periphery and steaming, flip off the warmth and mood the yolks. Whisk whereas concurrently drizzling the new coconut milk combination into the bowl of egg yolks so they arrive as much as temperature. When about 75% of the milk combination is in with the eggs, return your complete combination again to the pot.
Flip the burner again on medium-low warmth and stir continuously with the rubber spatula. When the combination is thick sufficient to coat the spatula, however not as thick as pudding, take it off the warmth and stir within the extract (if utilizing). Pour it by way of a sieve in the event you assume there are lumps, and right into a bowl. Cowl with plastic wrap touching the floor of the kaya jam. Chill within the fridge till set, about one to a few hours.
