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How to cook Kaya toast

Kaya toast is a Singapore breakfast staple of thin, crisp-edged toasted bread sandwiched with a smooth coconut-and-egg jam and a slab of cold butter. This version includes a from-scratch kaya made gently over a water bath, plus the soft-boiled eggs with soy and white pepper that usually come alongside.

Ingredients

For the kaya (makes about 400 g)

• 4 large eggs (about 60 g each)
• 2 egg yolks, extra
• 200 ml thick coconut milk (canned or fresh-pressed)
• 150 g caster sugar
• 60 g gula melaka (palm sugar), finely chopped
• 4 pandan leaves, washed, tied into a knot
• 1/8 tsp fine salt

For the toast

• 8 slices white sandwich bread, ideally a day old
• 80 g salted butter, chilled, cut into 8 thin slabs
• 8 tbsp kaya (from above)

For the soft-boiled eggs (optional side)

• 4 large eggs, fridge-cold
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Steps

1. Set up the water bath5 min
   Fill a medium pot with about 3 cm of water and bring to a bare simmer over low heat. Choose a heatproof bowl that sits snugly on the pot without touching the water.
2. Mix the sugars and eggs3 min
   In the bowl (off the heat), whisk the 4 eggs and 2 extra yolks with the caster sugar, gula melaka and salt until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the mixture looks pale and slightly thickened.
3. Add coconut milk3 min
   Pour in the coconut milk and whisk until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean bowl for a silkier jam, pressing out any gula melaka bits.
4. Add pandan
   Drop the knotted pandan leaves into the mixture and press them down so they are submerged.
5. Cook the kaya gently40 min
   Set the bowl over the barely simmering water. Keep the heat low so the water never boils hard. Stir slowly and constantly with a spatula, scraping the base and sides, for 35 to 45 minutes.
6. Check for doneness
   The kaya is ready when it thickens to a loose custard that coats the back of a spoon and leaves a trail when you drag a finger through it. It will firm up further as it cools. If it looks grainy, lift the bowl off the heat and whisk hard for 30 seconds.
7. Cool and store20 min
   Discard the pandan leaves. Cool the kaya for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, then transfer to a clean, dry jar. Once fully cool, cover and refrigerate; it thickens overnight.
8. Cook the soft-boiled eggs6 min
   Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil. Gently lower in the fridge-cold eggs with a spoon, cover, and turn off the heat. Let stand for exactly 6 minutes for a barely set white and runny yolk.
9. Stop the cooking1 min
   Transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water for 30 seconds, then crack them into a shallow bowl. The white should be just set and milky, the yolk liquid.
10. Season the eggs
    Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and white pepper to the eggs and stir lightly with a spoon. Set aside.
11. Toast the bread6 min
    Toast the 8 slices in a toaster or under a grill until golden and crisp on both sides. Alternative: toast the slices on a dry pan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side. If you like the hawker-style edge, trim the crusts after toasting.
12. Spread the kaya2 min
    While the toast is hot, spread 2 tbsp of kaya evenly over each of 4 slices, going right to the edges.
13. Add the butter
    Lay 2 slabs of chilled butter on top of the kaya on each slice, then close with a second slice of toast. The butter should soften slightly from the heat but stay cool at the centre.
14. Serve
    Cut each sandwich in half or into 4 strips and serve at once with the soft-boiled eggs and hot kopi or teh.

Tips

• Never let the water under the bowl boil vigorously; high heat scrambles the eggs and makes grainy kaya.
• Use gula melaka for the characteristic caramel note; the proportion of gula melaka to caster sugar controls both flavour and colour.
• Day-old bread toasts crisper without going chewy.
• Slice the butter thin and keep it cold so it contrasts with the warm toast.
• Kaya keeps well, so make a double batch if you like.

Food safety and allergens

Kaya contains lightly cooked egg, so cook it until it clearly thickens and keep it refrigerated in a clean, dry jar, using within 5 to 7 days. Soft-boiled eggs have a runny yolk, so skip them for young children, pregnant women, the elderly or anyone immunocompromised.

Contains: dairy, egg, soy, wheat

Watch it being made

• The “Official” Sandwich of Singapore | Kaya ToastBig Nibbles · 1,097,185 views · YouTube
• Kaya Toast & EggsAndy Cooks · 525,065 views · YouTube
• Homemade Kaya Recipe (Coconut Jam) - 加椰吐司The Meatmen Channel · 211,086 views · YouTube

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