Kaya Toast (Malaysian Toast with Coconut Jam)

I had a couple of jars of homemade Kaya after reviewing the cookbook, Malaysia, and put them to good use by making Kaya Toast. Kaya Toast is a popular breakfast treat in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often paired with soft-boiled eggs (Telur Kopitiam) and coffee (Kopi-O), tea (I served it with Teh Tarik- Pulled Tea), or even Milo (a chocolate malt drink). The filling, Kaya (srikaya, seri kaya), is a rich coconut egg jam lightly flavored with pandan leaves (available fresh or frozen in southeast Asian markets). It can be made at home in a couple of hours or less (here are recipes from Rasa Malaysia and Beyond the Plate) or store-bought in areas that have markets featuring southeast Asian items. The thickness and color may vary a bit based on region and family. I also hope to make the Pandan version with a vibrant green color soon.

The thickened coconut jam is spread over two slices of toasted white bread and formed into a sandwich with a layer of thinly sliced butter in the center. The freshly toasted bread melts to butter slightly and helps blend the flavors together. Dip the slices straight into runny eggs seasoned with a little dark soy sauce and ground white pepper to create a wonderful combination of sweet, salty, and savory.

I toasted the bread slices using a broiler, but use a charcoal fire for an authentic, smokey taste.

I was experimenting with different times on the soft-boiled eggs so a couple came out perfect while the latter two solidified a little too much. You want to cook them just long enough to heat the whites, but still have a runny yolk for dipping the sweet Kaya Toast (disclaimer: Consuming raw eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions. Be safe about the source of your eggs or used pasteurized). The consistency came out a lot better for me when I added the eggs to simmering water and allowed them to cook for 5 minutes. Transfer them to an ice bath before peeling and mixing in the serving bowls with dark soy sauce (or light soy sauce) and ground white pepper.

Kaya is also a popular filling for Hong Kong French Toast or the Malaysian version, Mentega Kacang Dan Kaya French Toast.

Kaya Toast (Malaysian Toast with Coconut Jam)
Adapted from Rasa Malaysia
Serves 2

4 slices white bread
1/4 cup kaya (coconut jam)
2 tablespoons chilled salted butter

Toast the slices of bread using a toaster or under a broiler until golden brown. Cut off the crusts and cut each slice into two equal pieces.

Spread a layer of kaya over the top of each slice. Thinly slice the butter and put on top of half of the kaya-topped bread. Cover the buttered pieces with the other slices, kaya-side down.

Serve immediately with coffee/tea and soft-boiled eggs.