Sangkaya Phak Thong (custard Steamed in Pumpkin)

With a small sharp pointed knife, cut a star shaped opening around the stems of the pumpkins, lift the stems, and remove the seeds and membrane from inside. Combine sugar with egg, beat with pandan leaves for about 10 minutes, then continue beating, adding the coconut milk. Strain through cheesecloth into the hollowed out pumpkins, leaving about 1 inch space at the top. Place the pumpkins in small bowls for support, and place in a steamer tray, putting the stems on the tray also. Steam for about 45 minutes. Replace the stems as lids, and serve cool. The pandan leaves turn the custard green; this is traditional in Thailand but may be considered optional. Pandanus leaves (also called screwpine leaves) are popular in Southeast Asian cooking (especially Thai, Indonesian, and Malasian) and have a floral flavor. They are used to flavor puddings and rice dishes. They have an intense green coloring which makes them useful as a natural food coloring. They are available in Asian markets usually dried but sometimes fresh. Other names for them are daun pandan and kewra.