I fell in love with the freshly made kaya at Good Morning Nanyang Cafe, the very first time I tasted it. It looks slightly lumpy but is very very feathery soft. This kaya has a layered kind of sweetness and smothering fresh coconut, eggy, pandan aroma like a sophisticated perfume. It's totally different from those mass produced kaya which is pastey like a tub of starch, flat in sweetness (死甜 dead sweet as we say in Chinese) and smells of synthetic fragrances.
Today, Byron the boss of Good Morning Nanyang Cafe generously shared with us how he makes his signature kaya. Byron's kaya is made fresh every day in small batches with zero preservatives. So customers always get fresh kaya at Good Morning Nanyang Cafe (outlets at Maxwell Road, Chinatown Pagoda Street and Far East Plaza).
Sharon is learning how to make kaya from the master, Byron :-D (Byron is showing us how to make a 3kg batch of coconut jam.)
We start with breaking the 28 fresh eggs into the pot. The whole egg complete with yolk and white is used.
Whisk the eggs with a wooden or plastic spatula until all the egg yolks are broken, and the yolks and whites are well mixed.
Measure 1.2 kilos of white or brown sugar. Yup, that's a lot of sugar but we can adjust the sweetness to our own preference. As a diabetic, Sharon is making kaya with reduced sugar.
As a Type 1 diabetic requiring insulin treatment, Sharon knows very well the importance of medical insurance. She has been a diabetes patient for 37 years and a financial consultant with Great Eastern for over 10 years.
If you need medical insurance advice, you can contact Sharon at ☎ 8288 6889.
Measure 500ml of coconut milk. For convenience, we are using coconut milk in cartons. Freshly squeezed coconut milk is, of course, ideal.
Add the sugar and coconut milk into the pot of well beaten eggs.
Whisk the eggs, coconut milk and sugar until all is well mixed.
Get ready a 200 gram bundle of fragrant fresh pandan leaf.
Toss the bundle of pandan leaf into the pot of beaten eggs, coconut milk and sugar.
While traditional kaya recipe in Malaysia / Singapore calls for eggs, coconut milk and sugar, with pandan leaves today, there are variations that are eggless, made without pandan, or made with gula Melaka.
Over in southern Thailand, kaya is traditionally made with sugar, coconut milk and eggs, without pandan leaves. This is the lady boss of Phong Ocha Dim Sum in Trang city (which is like a kind of kopitiam that serves dim sum - quite common in southern Thailand). Hokkien owned popular Phong Ocha has been around for over thirty years and is in the second generation now.
Eighty four year old second generation owner of Hub Seng kopitiam. This iconic coffee shop was founded by her father who came to Songkhla city from Hainan Island in the 1930s. She makes kaya with sugar, coconut milk and eggs as taught by her father.
South Thailand kaya tends to be eggy with more pronounced smell and taste of eggs.
Place the pot with the eggs, coconut milk, sugar and pandan leaf into a larger pot with hot water simmering inside at medium heat (not boiling).
Keep the simmering hot water (about 80°C) in the larger pot topped up to the same level as the pot of egg, coconut milk, sugar and pandan leaf
Gently but firmly stir the eggs, coconut milk, sugar and pandan leaf (in one circular direction) inside the smaller pot.
Stir the eggs, coconut milk, sugar and pandan leaf in the pot for around 1.5 hours (hard work!) double boiling inside another pot of simmering hot water. Do not allow the mixture to bubble in the pot as it's a sign that the temperature is too high.
Stir gently until you see the signature soft lumpiness of Good Morning Nanyang Coffee's kaya. You will also be able to smell the layered sweet aroma of coconut, eggs and pandan leaf.
This process and amount of ingredients yield 3kg of kaya. The quantities (more or less coconut milk, eggs, pandan leaves or sugar) can be adjusted according to taste and the size of your batch.
Let the kaya cool to room temperature before packing and letting it sit overnight in the fridge. Byron said, kaya tastes best when allowed to sit overnight. With refrigeration, kaya is best consumed within 5 days of making as no preservative is used.
Kaya makes any bread better.
My first taste of Good Morning Nanyang Cafe's kaya was with their signature ciabatta bread. I was addicted ever since.
A dab of butter adds a savoury balance to the rich creamy sweet kaya.
With these simple instructions, it is quite easy to make Good Morning Nanyang Cafe's signature kaya almost anywhere in the world.
My post on Good Morning Nanyang Coffee at their (now closed) Hong Lim outlet <- click.
Written by Tony Boey on 23 Aug 2015 | Reviewed 28 Apr 2024 | 17 Sep 2024
Byron says if you want smaller portions, just reduce the ingredients proportionately. For 1kg kaya use 30% of ingredients in the post e.g. 10 eggs, 400g sugar, 150g coconut milk, 50g pandan leaves. Can +/- to taste.
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