Santan Egg Custard in a Pumpkin

This is a Thai dessert and it is called Sangkhaya Fakthong.  It is easy to make and looks good too.  Not to mention it is super yummy.  This is my urban version of this wonderful treat.

Ingredients :

1. Eggs either chicken or duck.   (In Thailand, they use duck egg.  The taste is more robust and flavourful).
2. Thick coconut milk (santan).  In Thailand, the cook will put freshly squeezed coconut milk in the refrigerator.  They will then only used the cream found floating on top of the cold coconut milk).
3. Castor sugar.  (You can also used either brown or white palm sugar).
4. Pandan (screwpine) essence.  Used fresh screwpine leaves if you can get hold of them.
5. Salt
6. Rice flour or custard powder.
7. One small pumpkin about 5 inches in diameter (interior).

Method :

1.     Wash the pumpkin clean.  Cut of the top and put it aside.  Use a spoon and dig out all the seeds and fibres from the inside of the pumpkin.  Wash the pumpkin one more time, inside and out and put it aside to dry.

2.     Cracked two eggs and put them into a big mixing bowl.  For the second egg, take it out by making a hole at one end of the shell.

3.     For two eggs add in about 40 gm of castor sugar.

4.     Now use the empty egg shell and measure out two units of coconut milk for each egg.  In this case you need 4 egg shells volume of coconut milk.

5.     Add in a two drops of pandan essense.  (if you have the real thing, then bruised the leaves and used it to mix the egg and sugar paste.  As you swirl the leaves in the mixture the pandan juice will get into the mixture giving it a wonderful smell.  Discard the leaves.)

6.     Put in one teaspoon of salt.

7.     Add one teaspoon of rice flour or custard powder.

8.      Now mixed everything up into a very smooth paste, like thick glue.

9.     Pour this mixture through a fine sieve into the hollowed out pumpkin. 

 10.     By this time the water in the steamer should be boiling.  Turn down to low heat.

11.     Place the pumpkin on a plate and put it on the trivet.  Place the cut top of the pumpkin on the side.  Do not cover the pumpkin.

12.     Now cover the steamer and let steam for 45 mins or until the custard is set.

13.     If you find the custard still not firmly set then used a small spoon and give it a few slow stirs to distribute the heat evenly.  Steam it for another 10 mins.  That should do the trick.

14.     Turn off the heat and let the pumpkin sit in the steamer until completely cool.  Do not handle the pumpkin when it is still hot.  It will fall apart!  And do not open the steamer too many times.  this will also make the pumpkin to crack open.  And you do not want that to happen!

Served the 'Sangkhaya Fakthong' by cutting it into thick wedges.  You can chill it slightly before serving.  However do not leave it too long in the fridge because it will cause the pumpkin to harden.