Post Family Day - Om's Kaya

WOW! Ever since that Saturday, 6 December my brain was bombarded with memories from my past. I remembered those times I spent at Rapat Setia, Ipoh during my school holidays. Walking to the nearby shop to buy pickled mango, or playing "masak-masak" with my cousins in the hut which my grandfather built.

My brain was also bombarded with the memories I had of my aunt, Om. One of her lifetime legacies was her kaya (coconut jam) which I enjoyed eating on toast with butter. Sometimes I would sneak into the kitchen just to have a scoop of kaya on a teaspoon (only recommended for children not adults).

I thought I could share Om's kaya on the Family Day. After making several batches I learned that there is a reason to the name kaya. Not just having rich ingredients, it is also a labour of love. The cook should be willing to give and not and not expect anything in return. Unconditional love, which was what Om was "kaya" (rich) with.

Kaya needs time to cook on slow fire. You have to focus on making the kaya and do nothing else. I was not able to invest in the hours involved in cooking the kaya. I was not able to keep stirring and stirring and stirring and stirring. To make my life simple, I decided to use a very useful machine called the Thermomix. Without sweat, I was able to produce delicious kaya in two hours!. No mess, no pain and very fast. But was I able to duplicate Om's kaya?

I was deluded into thinking that I can enjoy that kaya I had many years ago on toast with butter made by Om. Kaya needs time to be kaya. Kaya needs love and attention from the maker, not by a machine. You can't get Om's kaya from the supermarket simply because they're made by her hands. Machines can't give love.

I'm not sure if I want to try to make kaya in the future after his experience. I hope I'm not all "kaya-out" because I want to share the good feeling of eating kaya with my kids. Om left a lifetime legacy when she looked after us. She will always be part of us and that part of us we share want to share with our families.

Om (centre) with my Mom (left), my sister (right) and my cousin (bottom left)

Please try the recipe below, either with a machine like the Thermomix or on double boiler to see if you can reproduce Om's kaya and let me know if you stick to the recipe or made your own alteration. 

Om's Kaya

5 eggs
150 g gula kabung
250 ml coconut milk
3 pandan leaves - tie in a knot
A pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients in the machine. It takes about two hours to cook in the machine but please check the consistency after one hour and a half.