Recipe: Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Rice
On my recent Asian travels I hunted down some dried butterfly pea flowers. These flowers are found near the tropical equator and are commonly brewed in herbal tea. They are also used as a natural food dye in Southeast Asian dishes, particularly in Malaysia and Thailand. There is one alluring Malay dish called nasi kerabu, originating from the Kelantan province, which presents blue rice accompanied by various salads, pickles, crackers and dips. Utterly delicious for the eyes and stomach.
Apparently butterfly pea flower tea is getting quite trendy — if only for its very ‘Instagrammable’ colour. A vivid blue, the tea changes colour according to the pH level of anything added to it. A squeeze of lemon or lime will turn it purple. For those interested in its health benefits, the caffeine–free tea can purportedly help to control diabetes and cholesterol, while working as a natural stress and anxiety reliever. Ayurvedic medicine also prizes butterfly pea flower tea as a memory enhancer, nootropic and antidepressant. But my favourite fact about this climbing legume from the pea family is its Latin name — Clitoria ternatea — so named as they look like women’s genitalia!
Nasi kerabu was the inspiration for a vegan lunch that I cooked last weekend for my hungry friends. Everything was served on banana leaves and everyone was encouraged to use their hands. It’s my favourite way to eat!
Here’s a breakdown of everything I served:
Butterfly pea flower rice with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, coconut
Raw dipping vegetables
Satay hummus, spicy spring onion relish, lime pickle
Crunchy coconut, garlic and peanut sprinkle
Curry okra
Grapefruit salad with beansprouts, tomatoes, cashews and mint
Baked tempeh
For dessert — fresh mango and rum–flambéed pineapple on crispy caramelised puffed rice, drizzled with Nature’s Charm vegan caramel and served on a betel leaf with a dash of chilli salt
Let me know if you try this recipe and share your results on Instagram with #CelestialPeach.
Ingredients (serves 2–3 depending on hunger levels)
1 cup jasmine rice
2 cups water
4–5 dried butterfly pea flowers
1 stick of lemongrass
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 tbsp coconut oil
Pinch of salt
Instructions
Boil 1 cup of water and steep the flowers for a few minutes.
Smash and roughly chop the lemongrass stick.
Put all the dry ingredients in a medium saucepan, suitable for preparing rice.
Cover with the hot water (including the flowers) and the remaining cup of cold water.
Cook the rice according to instructions, stirring occasionally to ensure the rice is dyed blue consistently throughout.
