Thai Pumpkin Custard (Sangkhaya Fak Thong)

Method

1. Wash the pumpkin. Using a small sharp knife, cut a circle around the stem, angling the blade slightly inward like a jack-o’-lantern lid, and lift off the top. Scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh with a spoon, then rinse the cavity. Turn the pumpkin upside down on a towel to drain and dry for a few minutes.
2. Whisk the eggs in a bowl until just combined and no big bubbles remain. Add the coconut milk, palm sugar, salt, and vanilla (or pandan) and whisk until the sugar has mostly dissolved. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug for the smoothest custard.
3. Set the dried pumpkin upright in a steamer basket or on a heatproof plate that fits inside your steaming pot. Pour the custard into the cavity, filling to just below the rim of the opening; the custard puffs slightly as it sets, so don’t fill it flush to the top. Leave the cavity uncovered.
4. Bring water to a gentle boil in your steaming pot, then lower the heat to hold a steady simmer and set the pumpkin in the steamer. Cover the pot and steam for 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the pumpkin: a compact 1 kg pumpkin is closer to 45 minutes, a larger or denser one needs closer to 60. Wipe condensation from the underside of the lid occasionally so it doesn’t drip into the custard.
5. Check doneness (see Notes) from about 40 minutes in. When the custard is set, lift the pumpkin out carefully; it will be fragile and hot. Let it cool to room temperature on a rack, about 1 hour.
6. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until fully chilled and firm enough to slice cleanly. Cut into wedges through the pumpkin and custard together, wiping the knife between cuts, and serve chilled or at cool room temperature.

Notes

• Kabocha squash is turning up more often at Asian grocers in Germany, but a small Hokkaido pumpkin (Hokkaido-Kürbis) is the easiest substitute to find: it’s the same squash species, Cucurbita maxima, about the same size, just as sweet, and has the same thin edible skin.
• Check doneness through the pumpkin’s own opening rather than lifting it out to test: insert a skewer into the center of the custard, staying clear of the pumpkin wall, and look for it to come out clean rather than coated in liquid custard. Press the pumpkin flesh near the cut edge with the same skewer; it should give easily, not feel raw.
• Steaming time depends heavily on the pumpkin’s size, wall thickness, and how vigorously your steamer runs, so treat 45 to 60 minutes as a range and start checking early rather than trusting the clock alone.
• Chilling firms the custard enough to cut clean wedges. Slicing it warm gives a lovely mess but not tidy slices, so plan for the pumpkin to steam well ahead of serving.

Sources Consulted

• Rachel Cooks Thai, “Thai Pumpkin Custard”
• Culinary Ambition, “Sangkhaya Fak Thong”
• Susie Cooks Thai, “Sang Kaya Fak Thong: Traditional Thai Steamed Pumpkin Custard”