Kaya toast is probably one of my favorite Southeast Asian snacks. If you have never heard of “kaya”, it’s pretty much like a coconut jam. It’s a spread, which is made out of sugar, coconut milk, eggs, and pandan leaf, hence the green color. The word “kaya” means rich in Malay, hence represents the texture of the jam. It’s creamy, smooth, and full of flavors.
Speaking of kaya toast, you have to serve it with cold butter! Homemade butter could not be any easier. When I first saw the video from Sweet Paul Magazine, I thought “no way!” It was perfect timing when a friend of mine gave me a jar of homemade kaya jam, so I thought, why not try out the mason jar method?
All you need is a mason jar and heavy cream.
Fill it half-way (oops.. I overfilled a bit), and shake it top to bottom for around 15 minutes. You will see and feel the changes of the heavy cream. It will become whipped cream few minutes after, however, just keep shaking!
When you arms start to get sore, you are pretty much done. As soon as it passes the whipped cream phase, you’ll see the separation of buttermilk and the curd. Then, drain the buttermilk (you can keep it for other uses if you want!), and place the butter in a plastic wrap, and shape it in the shape that you would like it to be. Put it in the refrigerator for a while until it is firm. Some people washes the butter through cold water before storing, just to avoid the bacteria growth. However, I didn’t do it, because I know these butter will be gone before the mold starts to form.
Now, assemble time.
Lightly toast the toasts, and spread the kaya jam evenly.
Place a slice of thick-cut butter (around 0.5 mm), and place the other toast (make sure you spread some kaya jam on it too!) on top of it. Slice it in half, and…
Voilà! Enjoy it while the toast is still crisp. The butter and the kaya jam blended together perfectly. The butter adds a bit more milky tastes to the kaya jam.
In Singapore, kaya toast is considered as a breakfast staple, which is often served with a soft-boiled egg, where you dipped the toast into the egg that is seasoned with soy sauce and white pepper. Yum!
Have you had kaya toast before? Or any favorite Southeast Asian food? Feel free to share with me in the comment section!
Thanks to Mamak Montreal for the kaya jam. If you are in Montreal area, and would like to try it out, they are taking orders! Head to their page for more information.
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When I moved from Southeast Asia to California, the first thing I was homesick for was kaya. I now make my own kaya on a regular basis. I’d send you some if I could! 🙂
Kaya is so addictive! That’s so nice that you can make your own!! Haha. that would be nice 😛
I used palm sugar, which is what the traditional recipe calls for, and that’s why it’s darker. Sometimes I mix it with a higher regular sugar ratio to get a lighter color, like this: http://www.theworktop.com/guest-posts/kaya-toast-vermillion-roots/
Homemade butt is the best and so easy to make. And I am very curios about the kaya jam now, love pandam.
I assume you were meant to say “butter”? 🙂 And yes! It’s so easy that I never knew before. The kaya jam is very addictive. It’s pretty strong in coconut flavor, so you’ll like it if you are a fan of coconut.
Ah, Kaya and Butter together (and sometimes, peanut butter & kaya) is so great on 油条 (fried Chinese Long Doughnut). That’s how we’d eat it as kids in Brunei. Kaya is definitely a childhood favourite.
I’ve never tried peanut butter and kaya, but it sounds like a great combo too! Will definitely give it a try next time 😀 Thanks for sharing!
ahhhh Kaya toast!! It’s good stuff alright. I was pretty excited to find a vendor at our local farmer’s market that makes and sells it. Pretty difficult to find in Canada. Decadent post Eva!
Oh that’s nice that you found it at a local farmer’s market! It is rare to find in the Northern Asia too, let alone that it’s difficult to find in Canada. I’m glad that you got to try it! Thanks Bernice! 🙂
This is so interesting! I had never heard of Kaya jam (but now I crave it really badly) and it also had never occurred to me to making my own butter! The process looks simple enough. I’m excited because I think I could use lactose-free heavy cream, which would make my lactose-intolerant tummy, really happy! Quick question: when you say to shake the jar for 15 minutes, do you mean very vigorously, or rather invert it top to bottom repeatedly in a more laidback way? I can’t wait to try this.
I started off with shaking it vigorously, however, it got harder to shake as the heavy cream becomes whipped cream. I would say it’s more vigorous than just inverting it top to bottom. Still need to apply some strengths.
I’ve gotta make my own version of Kaya Jam! I got lazy for this video I did w Hilah Cooking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3De6q-PsAUk
Thanks for stopping by, Lynn! Yes you should! I would definitely love to see it 😀 At least you are able to buy it, cause I can’t find it in Montreal at all.