5 Easy Asian Bread Pudding Recipes Using Southeast Asian Ingredients

My impression of bread pudding recipes is that they are for using up stale bread by adding milk/cream, eggs and butter to soften it. According to O&H Danish Bakery, this is a fairly accurate impression. It is initially known as “poor man’s pudding,” as it was popular with the lower class in England. They are no longer just for the poor.

The basic structure of the pudding involves layering cut or torn pieces of bread in a dish, pouring a custard sauce over the layers and baking it in the oven.

I always find them too sweet until I tried some on a Royal Caribbean cruise buffet spread. It was light and refreshing. I had seconds. Now, I am game to try different variations of this sweet bread dessert, especially those that feature tropical ingredients.

These 5 bread pudding recipes feature Southeast Asian ingredients like kaya (coconut egg jam), gula Melaka (palm sugar), coconut milk, condensed milk, pandan leaves, candied pineapple and banana.

1. Kaya Bread Pudding Recipe

Kaya is Singapore’s answer to jam. It is a spread made with coconut milk, egg and sugar. It is the first time I see it used in a bread pudding.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 2 pandan leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 heaped tablespoon kaya
• 6 slices white bread
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 170 degree celsius
2. Tie the 2 pandan leaves together in a big knot
3. In a small pan, heat coconut milk with the pandan leaves and salt
4. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, and then remove from the heat. Allow to cool completely
5. Spread kaya over the slices of bread and sandwich the slices together
6. Cut the sandwiches into four triangles each
7. Arrange the triangles in a casserole dish
8. Place the eggs in a bowl and whisk till well combined
9. Remove the pandan leaves from the coconut milk. Pour the coconut milk and fresh milk into the bowl of eggs and mix to combine.
10. Pour this mixture over the bread. Push the bread back down if it floats to the top of the dish. Leave to soak for 30 minutes
11. Place the casserole dish on a baking tray lined with foil
12. Baked in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the slices of bread at the top of the dish start to turn golden brown and crisp

2. Thai Coffee Bread Pudding Recipe

A bread pudding recipe featuring condensed milk, espresso powder, cardamon, and cinnamon. Cooked up by Maria Del Mar Cuadra.

Find the recipe at seriouseats.com

3. Gula Melaka Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe

This recipe is shared by Sarah Huang Benjamin at the Asian Food Network.

It features gula Melaka, which is Malay for Malacca sugar. It is a traditional sweet condiment made from boiling down the liquid collected from the cut stem of immature palm flower stalks. That’s right, it is palm sugar.

Find the recipe at https://asianfoodnetwork.com

4. Singapore Tropical Bread Pudding Recipe

Designed by Li from Hints For the Home.

This recipe features gula Melaka, coconut milk, candied pineapple and pandan-flavoured bread.

Very detailed instructions with accompanying photos. Interesting use of flavoured bread.

Find the recipe at https://hintsforthehome.wordpress.com/

5. Vietnamese Coconut Bread and Butter Pudding

This recipe, designed by Luke Nguyen of Asian Food Network fame, features sweet finger banana, unsweetened coconut flakes, and condensed milk.

Find the recipe at https://www.sbs.com.au/food

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