Coconut Jam (Serikaya)

Writer Christopher Tan enjoys snacking on this rich, dense Singaporean jam at any time of the day.

  • Serves

    makes about 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients

  • 23 cup sugar
  • 5 Tbsp. canned coconut milk
  • 18 tsp. salt
  • 3 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
  • 2 fresh or frozen daun pandan leaves, tied so that they form a small knot
  • Toasted bread and butter, to serve

Instructions

Step 1

In a large bowl, combine sugar, coconut milk, salt, eggs and yolks, and pandan knot. Stir gently with a spoon, crushing the pandan as you go to release its flavor, until the egg yolks and whites are thoroughly blended and the sugar is dissolved, 5–6 minutes. Remove and reserve the pandan knot. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a small pot. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, 12–13 minutes. Transfer the coconut mixture to a small heatproof bowl (the bowl should be big enough that the mixture is about 1 1⁄2" deep) and place reserved pandan knot in the middle. Cover bowl loosely with foil, leaving some edges unsealed for steam to escape. Place bowl on rack of steamer set over water and wrap steamer lid in a towel to prevent condensation from building up on the bottom of the lid and dripping onto the coconut mixture. Cover pot and steam gently over medium heat until mixture is just set in the middle but not completely firm, about 30–40 minutes. (Watch mixture closely, checking it every 5–10 minutes. Once it begins to set, the process will happen quickly, and you don't want it to get too firm.) Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Spread, if you like, on toasted buns or bread, topped with a thin pat of butter.
  1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, coconut milk, salt, eggs and yolks, and pandan knot. Stir gently with a spoon, crushing the pandan as you go to release its flavor, until the egg yolks and whites are thoroughly blended and the sugar is dissolved, 5–6 minutes. Remove and reserve the pandan knot. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a small pot. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, 12–13 minutes. Transfer the coconut mixture to a small heatproof bowl (the bowl should be big enough that the mixture is about 1 1⁄2" deep) and place reserved pandan knot in the middle. Cover bowl loosely with foil, leaving some edges unsealed for steam to escape. Place bowl on rack of steamer set over water and wrap steamer lid in a towel to prevent condensation from building up on the bottom of the lid and dripping onto the coconut mixture. Cover pot and steam gently over medium heat until mixture is just set in the middle but not completely firm, about 30–40 minutes. (Watch mixture closely, checking it every 5–10 minutes. Once it begins to set, the process will happen quickly, and you don't want it to get too firm.) Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Spread, if you like, on toasted buns or bread, topped with a thin pat of butter.
Recipes

Coconut Jam (Serikaya)

  • Serves

    makes about 1 1/4 cups

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SAVEUR EDITORS

Writer Christopher Tan enjoys snacking on this rich, dense Singaporean jam at any time of the day.

Ingredients

  • 23 cup sugar
  • 5 Tbsp. canned coconut milk
  • 18 tsp. salt
  • 3 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
  • 2 fresh or frozen daun pandan leaves, tied so that they form a small knot
  • Toasted bread and butter, to serve

Instructions

Step 1

In a large bowl, combine sugar, coconut milk, salt, eggs and yolks, and pandan knot. Stir gently with a spoon, crushing the pandan as you go to release its flavor, until the egg yolks and whites are thoroughly blended and the sugar is dissolved, 5–6 minutes. Remove and reserve the pandan knot. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a small pot. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, 12–13 minutes. Transfer the coconut mixture to a small heatproof bowl (the bowl should be big enough that the mixture is about 1 1⁄2" deep) and place reserved pandan knot in the middle. Cover bowl loosely with foil, leaving some edges unsealed for steam to escape. Place bowl on rack of steamer set over water and wrap steamer lid in a towel to prevent condensation from building up on the bottom of the lid and dripping onto the coconut mixture. Cover pot and steam gently over medium heat until mixture is just set in the middle but not completely firm, about 30–40 minutes. (Watch mixture closely, checking it every 5–10 minutes. Once it begins to set, the process will happen quickly, and you don't want it to get too firm.) Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Spread, if you like, on toasted buns or bread, topped with a thin pat of butter.
  1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, coconut milk, salt, eggs and yolks, and pandan knot. Stir gently with a spoon, crushing the pandan as you go to release its flavor, until the egg yolks and whites are thoroughly blended and the sugar is dissolved, 5–6 minutes. Remove and reserve the pandan knot. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a small pot. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, 12–13 minutes. Transfer the coconut mixture to a small heatproof bowl (the bowl should be big enough that the mixture is about 1 1⁄2" deep) and place reserved pandan knot in the middle. Cover bowl loosely with foil, leaving some edges unsealed for steam to escape. Place bowl on rack of steamer set over water and wrap steamer lid in a towel to prevent condensation from building up on the bottom of the lid and dripping onto the coconut mixture. Cover pot and steam gently over medium heat until mixture is just set in the middle but not completely firm, about 30–40 minutes. (Watch mixture closely, checking it every 5–10 minutes. Once it begins to set, the process will happen quickly, and you don't want it to get too firm.) Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Spread, if you like, on toasted buns or bread, topped with a thin pat of butter.

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