Merlion City
July 2015
This was the original recipe for Kaya (Egg Jam) shared at a cooking workshop. Merlion Wayfarer was eager to try it out with the Philips Viva Bread Maker to see if the results can be replicated at home.
As it was her very first Kaya attempt on a Bread Maker, she halved the main ingredients to make a smaller portion:
- 3 Eggs
- 110g Brown Sugar
- 250ml Coconut Milk
Instead of freshly-ground Coconut Milk, for busy working professionals, the simpler alternative can be purchased from the supermarket:
These were the exact steps taken:
- Place the eggs, sugar, coconut milk, pandan water and pandan essence in a mixing bowl.Being a Kitchen Sotong, she attempted to use the Electric Chopper (yes, the one that comes with the fruit blender) to "chop" the Pandan Leaves. With 3 Pandan Leaves, the result was a chopped 1/4 portion, even with water added. Pandan Leaves were too light to use with a Chopper.The actual step taken was to "chop" the leaves finely with a scissors. To "chop" faster, bend the leaves into several folds -> Cut the edges at both sides -> Cut into the small bits that you need.The result was very raw-smelling chopped Pandan Leaves with little of the fragrance of pandan.A further soaking for 30 minutes resulted in green-tinged water with a slight pandan smell. (That's about all the "pandan" there is to it.)The really "wicked"-looking mixture with its load of egg yolks and coconut milk...
- Mix the mixture well with a hand whisk until all sugar dissolves.There is no need to whisk for a full 5 minutes. However, do stir the edges to ensure even whisking.Whisking also adds air to the mixture, which results in a slightly fluffier texture.At this point, you may be dismayed at the very watery texture of the mixture. Worry not, as the mixture will look more "normal" after the next few stages.
- Set Philips Bread Maker to Menu #14 ("Homemade"), and preset all stages to the minimum time, except for the last second stage ("Bake"). For this stage, set to 1 hour (60 minutes).This option was chosen because it is shorter than the 2-hour duration (120 minutes) for the Cake option.No doubt, the Bread Maker will go through the entire kneading and rising process for the Homemade option. (Unfortunately, these processes cannot be eliminated or set to "0" minutes.)
- In between baking, pause the Bread Maker to stir the mixture frequently. Careful watching and regular stirring is required, otherwise the Kaya will be burnt on the edges of the mixture.It is vital to "pause" the Bread Maker so that no extra heat is generated as you stir. Use a wooden spatula in case of contact with electrical surfaces. And do be careful of the very hot metallic surfaces within the Bread Maker.
- During the last 5 minutes, stir in the Potato Starch solution.Potato Starch will thicken the mixture and create the required texture.
- When ready, scoop out the mixture and use a hand blender or whisk to blend till smooth.The full Bake time of 60 minutes is not required. The required time is about 30 minutes.
- Allow the Kaya to cool down before transferring to another container. Keep refrigerated.
This was how the end result looked - A dull yellow Kaya with some brown specks (which was due to the overcooked bits). It definitely looks very "eggy"...
The is the more "Kaya-like" texture after blending...
In conclusion, these were the final ingredients used:
- 3 Eggs
- 110g Sugar
- 250ml UHT Coconut Milk
- 3 Pandan Leaves (diced with 3 tbsp Hot Water)
- 2 tsp Potato Starch (with 2 tsp Pandan Leave Water)
- 1/3 Pandan Essence
Actually, this version tasted absolutely fantastic - Not too sweet, and with enough of the Pandan Kaya fragrance. Eat with a Crispy Prata and pair it with a thick foamy Teh Tarik for best results!
For more on Merlion Wayfarer's adventures with Philips products, click here.
