1 Kabocha pumpkin (2.5 to 3.0 pound)

2 tablespoons pandan extract*

  - 1.5 ounces pandan leaves

  - ¾ cup water

300 grams Palm Sugar (grated)**

¼ teaspoons Sea Salt

1 can (13.5oz) Coconut Milk

5 eggs

4 egg yolks

1 tablespoon butter

* Substitute with ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

** Substitute with 1¼ cup cane sugar

Cambodian Pumpkin Custard

Sugkya Lapouw

Pandan and coconut cream custard cooked to perfection within a pumpkin.

Ingredients

Remove any ruff skin from the surface of the pumpkin.  Create a 2 inch opening at the base of the pumpkin’s stem. Remove seeds and fibers, with spoon.  Rinse the inside and outside of the pumpkin, set upside down on rack to air dry.  Rub the outside of pumpkin with butter.  Wrap the pumpkin in foil, keeping the opening uncovered to allow filling with custard mixture.  Butter and wrap the cut-out stem in aluminum foil.

Extract pandan leaf flavor by cutting them into ½” lengths, puree in water, strain using cheesecloth (squeeze out all of the juice).  Freeze the remaining extract in an ice cube tray (1 tablespoon of extract per cube) for future use, or use it to make syrup for decorating plates.  

Heat oven to 450ºF.  Over low heat dissolve sugar and salt with coconut milk. Set aside.  

Add pandan extract into the sugar mixture.  Whisk eggs and egg yolks while pouring in the warm sugar mixture.  Strain the mixture into a bowl.  Fill the pumpkin with the mixture until it reaches the bottom of the opening.  Place the pumpkin into a casserole bowl and fill the gap between the edge of the bowl and the pumpkin with crunched-up aluminum foil, this will provide support and prevent pumpkin from spitting. Place the wrapped stem in the oven for baking as well.

Cover the opening of the pumpkin with foil and bake for about 2 hours until custard rises above the opening in the pumpkin.  

Let the pumpkin cool.  Refrigerate for at least 8 hour before serving.

Directions

Serving Suggestions

Decorate plate with pandan syrup and drizzle coconut cream on top of the pumpkin wedge.

Serve with tea

Yield:

Style:

Authentic Cambodian

12 servings

Level:

Medium

Total:

Prep:

Cook:

2.5 hours + chill overnight

30 min

2 hours