10-Minute Kaya (II)

To enjoy a kaya toast brekky at home:

1. Make kaya in 10 minutes using the recipe here, up to one week ahead. On no account make kaya the traditional way which involves a double-boiler and stirring for hours on end. If you have a lot of free time, I suggest you bathe your dog, read a book, or take a nap.

2. The night before the kaya toast breakfast, remove eggs from the fridge to let them come to room temperature.

3. 15 minutes before serving, put the kettle on.

4. Pour some boiling water into a pot, enough to fill about 4 cm. Using a spoon or ladle, put the eggs in the pot. Add more boiling water as necessary so that the eggs are just submerged. Cover the pot and set the timer for 10 minutes for 55 g eggs. For bigger eggs, increase the time by 1 minute, and vice versa. If the pot is crowded, increase by another 1 minute, and vice versa.

5. Pour some boiling water into serving bowls. Half-boiled eggs should be served in warm bowls, don't you think?

6. Make the drink of choice, which is kopi gau xiu dai for me.

7. Set the table – kaya, butter, dark soya sauce, ground white pepper, knives, spoons, plates, etc. Or maybe you'll be setting the tray for a lucky someone who's getting breakfast in bed?

8. After the eggs have been steeping for 5 minutes, toast the bread.

9. When the timer goes off, drain the bowls and eggs.

10. Tuck in whilst the toast and eggs are hot. Break 1-2 eggs into a warm bowl, using a spoon to dig out the residual egg white in the shell. Season with dark soya sauce and ground white pepper to taste. Spread a piece of toast with kaya, then top with sliced cold butter. I like my kaya roti thick-sliced and open-faced; most people do thin-sliced and closed, I think. Stir the egg(s) slightly and dunk the toast. Enjoy!



Click here for the recipe.