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How to make kaya toast and half-boiled egg

This article is about the most popular breakfast staple in coffee shops in Malaysia and Singapore – kaya toast with half-boiled eggs.

I have not known anyone in Malaysia who has not tried this breakfast combination.

The toast is thick slices of bread grilled on charcoal with kaya and a slab of ice-cold butter.

The egg is half-boiled, with half-set egg white and egg yolk, seasoned with light soy sauce and ground white pepper.

And lastly, the Nanyang coffee, the locally roasted coffee to complete the jigsaw puzzle of the ultimate Malaysian/Singaporean breakfast.

Enjoy the kaya toast, half-boiled egg with a cup of Nanyang kopi. You can make this ultimate breakfast at home.

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1. How to make the kaya toast

You only need three ingredients to make the kaya toast – thick slices of bread, ice-cold butter, and heaps of the best quality kaya.

The best kaya toast should meet three criteria:

  • First, it must be done with thick slices of bread, at least half an inch.
  • You should make the toast on a charcoal grill, or at least with a grill pan. The toast is thick and may not fit into the lot of the regular electric toaster.
  • The toast is sandwiched with a generous spread of kaya and a slab of cold butter. Alternatively, the plain bun is a good substitute for the sandwich loaf.

The traditional kaya toast is made with a fluffy sandwich loaf, especially baked for making the toast. We can purchase the loaf specially made for making kaya toast. You may use any white bread for this purpose, but it is best to buy the unsliced loaf to slice the bread into thick slices.

Here are the steps to assemble the toast

  • Cut the bread into thick slices, between half to one inch thick.
  • Grill the bread on open charcoal fire or with a grill pan over medium to high heat.
  • When the first side of the bread has developed the grill mark, turn it over to continue grilling the other side.
  • Remove from heat and apply the kaya generously on one of the toast.
  • Sandwich a slab of ice-cold butter in between the toast to enjoy.

Note:

  • The toast should be crusty on the outside and still soft inside. Please grill the toast over medium to high heat to get this result.
  • Some coffee shops place the butter slabs on small ice cubes. This way ensures the butter will not melt when served to customers. Alternatively, you can pre-cut the butter into slabs, then store it in the refrigerator.
Sandwich loaf made for kaya toast

2. What is kaya?

Kaya is a popular spread for bread and filling for pastry in Southeast Asia.

It is also called kaya jam, closely related to other jams made with fruits. Sometimes it is also referred to as coconut jam.

The key ingredients are coconut milk, eggs, palm sugar (brown sugar), and pandan leaves. The best kaya is made with fresh pandan leaves, available year-round in Malaysia. 

I suggest getting the store-bought kaya rather than making it at home. One of Singapore’s most well-known coffee shop chains is the Ya Kun Kaya Toast, which has branches in more than other countries. 

The process is time-consuming as you cannot use high heat for cooking kaya.

I would not make the bread and kay myself for the sake of having a quick breakfast. However, If you wish to make it, or it is not commercially available where you live, I have a homemade kaya recipe explaining how to make kaya from scratch.

Note

  • Kaya made without using pandan leaf is light brown. It has a natural light green if pandan leaves are used.  I do not recommend buying those with bright green colors as it is likely added with coloring.
  • Coconut cream and coconut milk can be misleading due to the translation. Coconut milk for making the kaya is freshly pressed from the shredded coconut without adding other ingredients.
Malayisan local breakfast

3. The difference between half-boiled eggs and soft-boiled eggs

Most local coffee shops serve kaya toast with two half-boiled eggs during breakfast.

Half-boiled eggs are slightly different from western-style soft-boiled eggs, as the egg whites and egg yolks are still runny when served.

The eggs are seasoned with light soy sauce and ground white pepper. (Some shops add dark soy sauce, but this might be their interpretation rather than the norm.

Oriental kopi, one of the leading local coffee chop in Malaysia that sells kaya toast
A popular local coffee shop in Kuala Lumpur is famous for its kaya toast.

4. How to make a perfect half-boiled egg

You can make the half-boiled eggs with a specially made double boiler. Most kitchenware suppliers sell this boiler. However, we used a simple method with a large container and boiling water to make half-boiled eggs in the restaurant, which is a far better method.

Here are the steps to making half-boiled eggs:

  • Bring 1 liter of water to a boil.
  • Place the raw eggs into a large container or a pot.
  • Pour the boiling water into a container.
  • Set the timer to four minutes.
  • Remove the eggs from the boiling water when the time is up.
  • Transfer eggs to the second container filled with room temperature water to reduce the temperature quickly. This step will stop further cooking of the eggs, especially if you want to serve them later. Otherwise, crack the eggs to serve immediately.

Note:

  • The eggs should be at room temperature. You need to change the timing to longer than four minutes if they come straight from the refrigerator.
  • You need more water to make more half-boiled eggs in the same batch. I suggest using 2 liters of water for 4 eggs and 3 liters for six eggs.
  • You can add two minutes if you prefer the eggs to be more cooked
close-up of the kaya toast

5. How to enjoy kaya toast and half-boiled eggs

Seeping a cup of local coffee (called Nanyang Kopi) is the best way to enjoy kaya toast and half-boiled eggs. Sometimes I will get a cham (coffee mixed with tea) instead of pure coffee, or you may get your espresso for a change.

One way to enjoy this combination is to dip the kaya toast into the half-boiled eggs. It will soak up part of the eggs, and you can lift the plate to slurp up the remaining eggs!

Yield: 2 servings

Kaya toast and half-boiled eggs

kaya toast and half-boiled eggs

Enjoy the kaya toast and half-boiled egg with a cup of Nanyang kopi. You can make this ultimate breakfast at home.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the toast:

  • 2 slices of thick toast
  • 1 tbsp kaya
  • 60g butter

For the half-boiled eggs:

  • 4 fresh eggs
  • Light soy sauce and ground white pepper to taste

Instructions

The toast:

  1. Cut the bread into thick slices, between half to one inch thick.
  2. Grill the bread on open charcoal fire or with a grill pan over medium to high heat.
  3. When the first side of the bread has developed the grill mark, turn it over to continue grilling the other side.
  4. Remove from heat and apply the kaya generously on one of the toast.
  5. Sandwich a slab of ice-cold butter in between the toast to enjoy.

The eggs:

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
  2. Place the raw eggs into a large container or a pot.
  3. Pour the boiling water into a container.
  4. Set the timer to four minutes.
  5. Remove the eggs from the boiling water when the time is up.
  6. Transfer eggs to the second container filled with room temperature water to reduce the temperature quickly. 
  7. When eggs are cold enough to handle,  crack the eggs to serve immediately.
  8. Season with light soy sauce and ground white pepper.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 460Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 460mgSodium: 1036mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 16g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 1/9/2022

KP Kwan

Friday 2nd of September 2022

Hi, this is KP Kwan. I am happy to see you in this comment area, as you have read through my recipe. I am glad to reply to any questions and comments as soon as possible.

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