Recipes

Pumpkin and Coconut Custard

Sang Ka Ya Fak Tong

Coconut custard steamed inside a whole pumpkin, topped with spiced whipped cream

Prep

10 min

Cook

50 min

Serves

4

Heat

mild

Sang Ka Ya Fak Tong turns a whole pumpkin into its own serving vessel: a coconut milk custard, lightly spiced with cinnamon and vanilla, gets poured directly into a hollowed-out pumpkin and steamed until firm, letting the pumpkin's own sweetness blend into the custard as it cooks. As the custard cools it naturally contracts, leaving a small gap at the top that's a perfect spot for a spoonful of cinnamon-nutmeg whipped cream, with the pumpkin's cut-off top serving as a lid to keep everything cold and fresh in the fridge. Sliced like a pie at the table, it's an eye-catching dessert built from a technique more commonly seen at Thai street food stalls than in home kitchens.

Ingredients

• 1 Small kabocha squash (pumpkin) (sized to hold the custard)
• 2 Chicken eggs
• 4 3/4 tablespoons Coconut milk
• 2 1/8 tablespoons Coconut sugar (softened with a little water if in block form)
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
• 2/5 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 6 1/2 tablespoons Heavy whipping cream
• 2/5 tablespoon White cane sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin with a sharp knife, keeping the cut-out top in one piece and large enough to fit your hand through.
2. Use your hand and a spoon to remove all the seeds and stringy membrane until the inside is smooth and clean.
3. If using block coconut sugar, soften it with a little water, heating briefly in the microwave until it mixes into a syrup. Skip this if using granulated sugar.
4. Whisk the eggs lightly, then whisk in the sugar until well blended.
5. Add the cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract. Stir well, then add the coconut milk and whisk lightly until smooth and creamy.
6. Pour the custard into the hollowed-out pumpkin.
7. Place the pumpkin in a large steamer, laying the cut-off top piece alongside so it cooks too. Cover tightly and steam for about 45 minutes or more.
8. The custard should expand and firm up as it cooks. Check with a meat thermometer for an internal temperature of at least 165°F (75°C), or test firmness with a toothpick. Don't stop cooking while it's still too soft — this can take up to an hour total.
9. Remove from the steamer and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until very cold. The custard will contract as it cools, usually leaving a small gap at the top.
10. Whip the heavy cream until thick with firm peaks. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and beat on high until well mixed and firm again.
11. Spoon the whipped cream into the gap at the top and pack in well.
12. Replace the pumpkin top as a lid, pressing it into the cream. If there's no gap for cream, skip this step or serve the cream on the side. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
13. Slice like a pie to serve. Wrap any leftovers well in plastic and keep refrigerated — it keeps for several days if kept very cold.

Notes

Don't pull the custard from the steamer while it's still soft, even if the timing seems close — undercooked custard never fully sets once cooled, so check firmness with a toothpick before stopping.

Substitutions

Buttercup squash makes a good substitute for kabocha if that's not available — both have a similarly firm skin and sweet, moist flesh.