Srikaya: Coconut and Egg Jam in Indonesian Kitchens
Srikaya is a thick, pale green jam made from coconut milk, eggs, palm sugar and pandan leaves, cooked slowly in a pan until it sets into a soft spread. Indonesians spread it on bread, toast and steamed cakes, and it sits at the centre of a family of sweet egg-and-coconut preserves that runs across Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. If you want to know what srikaya tastes like, what it is made of, and where you are most likely to meet it on a trip through Java and the islands, this page covers all of it in order.
What srikaya is and how it differs from a custard
The name srikaya is used across Indonesia for a jam, not a custard, although the two are close relatives. A custard is cooked until it is thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon and is eaten as a pudding or poured over fruit. Srikaya is cooked for much longer. The coconut milk and sugar are heated first until the sugar begins to caramelise, the beaten egg is then stirred in, and the mixture is cooked over low heat until the liquid has reduced and the spread has taken on a dense, glossy texture. The colour comes from the pandan leaves, which are either bruised and simmered in the coconut milk or squeezed for their juice, and the caramel from palm sugar gives the jam its brown undertone.
The difference is practical as well as culinary. A custard set with heat alone wobbles when it cools, whereas srikaya firms as it rests because the sugar and the reduced coconut fat stiffen as the jam cools. A spoonful of properly cooked srikaya holds a clean edge on a slice of bread. A custard that has been cooked too hard turns grainy and separates. Srikaya is forgiving only up to a point: the egg must be stirred constantly so it does not scramble, and the pan must stay on low heat, which is why many home cooks take the better part of an hour over it.
The base: coconut, egg and palm sugar
Coconut milk is the backbone of the jam. Thick coconut milk from freshly grated coconut gives the richest result, and the oil that separates on the surface of the cooking pan is a sign that the jam has been cooked long enough. Eggs supply the set. Only the yolks are used in many recipes, which makes a smoother and more golden spread, while others use whole eggs for a firmer jam. Palm sugar, sold in hard blocks, gives a rounded toffee flavour that white sugar cannot match. Many cooks use a mix, with white sugar to keep the colour light and palm sugar for depth.
Pandan is the flavour most people associate with srikaya, and it is the reason the jam is green. The long, narrow leaves of the pandan plant carry a grassy, vanilla-like scent. The leaves are tied into a knot and simmered in the coconut milk, or pounded with a little water and strained to make a green juice. The juice is stronger and gives a clearer colour, but the knotted leaves are the traditional method in many kitchens.
The cooking method, step by step
A basic srikaya begins with the coconut milk, pandan and sugar in a heavy pan over moderate heat. Once the sugar has dissolved and the liquid has started to darken slightly, the heat is lowered and the beaten eggs are strained into the pan through a sieve, which removes any cooked threads. The mixture is then stirred without pause. The first stage is a loose custard. Over the next thirty to forty minutes the liquid reduces, the colour deepens to a light caramel, and the spoon begins to leave a trail that takes a moment to close. When the jam coats the back of a spoon and sets firmly on a cold plate, it is ready. It thickens further as it cools, so cooks tend to stop a little before the point where the jam looks finished.
The common mistakes are predictable. Heat that is too high curdles the egg and burns the sugar at the bottom of the pan. Stirring too little lets the jam catch. Pouring the egg in without straining leaves small cooked lumps that spoil the texture. A cook who has made srikaya before will recognise the moment the jam turns glossy and will lift the pan off the heat just before it becomes too stiff to spread.
How srikaya is eaten
The most familiar way to eat srikaya is on toast or a soft white roll, spread thinly with a little butter. Breakfast stalls in Jakarta and Surabaya serve it this way, and it is frequently the first thing a visitor orders from a menu that also lists fried eggs and sweet tea. It is also used as a filling for steamed sponge cakes, where the jam is sandwiched between two layers of pale batter and the cake is steamed until it rises. Some bakeries fold srikaya into small pastries, while others spread it over cakes as a glaze. In parts of Sumatra and Java it is served with sticky rice, and a spoonful of the jam makes a simple dessert with sliced banana.
The jam keeps for some days in a closed jar in a cool place, and its sugar content means it lasts longer than an egg custard. For that reason it travels well, and it is sold in small jars in markets and food shops, where it makes a practical gift for someone who wants a taste of the islands to take home.
Srikaya compared with kaya, custard and other egg jams
Kaya is the Malay and Singaporean name for the same family of coconut egg jam, and the two words are frequently used together in Singapore. The jam is made the same way and eaten in the same places, and the difference in name is a matter of language rather than recipe. Custard buns and custard tarts, which are popular across Asia, use a much thinner egg filling that is baked rather than cooked to a jam. Lemon curd is a European cousin, made with citrus, butter and eggs, but without coconut and without the long cooking that gives srikaya its dense texture. Among Indonesian sweets, srikaya sits closer to a spread than to a dessert, and it belongs with the sweet preserves and steamed cakes that appear in market snack trays.
Where a visitor meets srikaya
Morning markets are the best place to find srikaya made by hand. Early in the day, cake sellers set out trays of steamed cakes, sticky rice and jars of homemade jam, and the jam is frequently sold by the spoon or in small plastic cups for the buyer to take away. Bakeries in larger towns sell it packed into rolls, and small breakfast stalls near bus stations serve it on toast with a glass of black coffee. Restaurants that serve Indonesian breakfasts frequently include it on a plate with bread, eggs and fruit. Asking for it by name is enough, and sellers are happy to explain how their version differs from the jam they make at home.
Visitors who want to make it themselves will find that the ingredients are easy to buy in most Indonesian markets. The coconut, palm sugar and pandan are sold fresh, and the only specialist tool needed is a heavy pan that spreads heat evenly. Patience matters more than skill. A cook who gives the jam enough time at low heat will end up with a spread that tastes of caramel and coconut, rather than a sweet, watery custard.
What to look for when buying srikaya
A good jar of srikaya is smooth, glossy and evenly coloured. Its green should be soft rather than bright, and it should hold a spoon mark without weeping liquid. Bubbles, a grey film or a sharp smell mean the jam has been kept too long or stored badly. The flavour should taste of coconut first, pandan second and palm sugar last. Jam made with too much white sugar tastes flat, and jam made with artificial green colouring has a chemical edge that homemade versions do not have.
Srikaya is sweet and rich, so a small amount goes a long way. Visitors who are not used to very sweet breakfasts frequently find that a thin layer on plain bread, with a cup of unsweetened tea, balances the sugar well. Serving it warm is also an option, since the jam softens slightly and spreads more easily on toast that has just come off the grill.
Frequently asked questions about srikaya
Is srikaya the same as kaya?
Yes, in practical terms. Srikaya is the Indonesian name and kaya is the Malay and Singaporean name for a coconut egg jam cooked with pandan and sugar. Recipes vary from kitchen to kitchen, but the method and the result are close enough that a cook in Jakarta and a cook in Singapore would recognise each other’s jam.
Does srikaya contain dairy?
Traditional srikaya is made without milk or butter. Its richness comes from coconut milk and egg yolks. Some modern recipes add butter at the end for shine, and visitors with dairy concerns should ask the seller how the jam was made.
How long does srikaya keep?
Homemade srikaya keeps for several days in a sealed jar in a cool place and longer in a refrigerator. Once a jar has been opened and spread with a knife that has touched butter or bread, its life shortens. Smell and colour are the best guides: a sour smell or a dull, separated surface means the jam should be thrown away.
Is srikaya a dessert or a breakfast food?
It works as both. Most people eat it at breakfast on bread, but it is also served as a sweet filling for cakes and as a topping for sticky rice in the afternoon. Its sweetness makes it more of a treat than a meal, which is why it is eaten in small amounts.
Plan your srikaya tasting
Srikaya is one of the easiest Indonesian sweets to try on a trip, because it is sold in the places where visitors already spend their mornings. Start with a plain slice of bread and a cup of tea, then move on to a steamed cake with the jam inside. For more of the sweets that sit beside srikaya in market trays, the Indonesian snacks and sweets guide lists the cakes, puddings and rice sweets that visitors meet most frequently, and the market snack trays of Java and Bali show how srikaya fits into the wider jajan tradition. Visitors who like the steamed sponge style can compare it with serabi, the coconut pancake from Java, which uses coconut milk in a very different way.
Srikaya rewards slow eating. Taste it on its own first, then on bread, then warm from a steamed cake, and notice how the coconut, pandan and caramel change with each. A jar bought from a market stall is the simplest souvenir, and a jar made at a cooking class is a better one, because the work of stirring the pan teaches you more about the jam than any description can.
Related guides: klappertaart, ketan selai srikaya, nastar, Roti jala in Malay kitchens in Indonesia, Why Brebes is known for telur asin, Indonesian Desserts and Sweet Porridges: Pudding, Ice and Kolak Guide.