When I was hunting for recipes starting with the letter ‘B’, I got loads of stuffs and yet this simple yet exotic Thai beverage caught my eyes….
B – Butterfly Pea Flower Drink
Category : Misc
And now look at this flower before I go on with the details of the recipe….
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| From my garden |
For the past so many years, we have been growing this creeper plant and most of the times, it grows and ‘over flows’ into our neighbor’s garden and we are forced to trim it down.
Around here,this plant is grown for aesthetic purpose. Until I saw read about this beverage, I never even imagined it could be used in a recipe!!
This flower is know by the following names…
Botanical name – Clitoria ternatea and belong to the Fabaceae family.
English names – Butterfly pea, Cordon pea, blue pea,mussel shell climber, pigeon wings, etc
Tamil – Sangi pu / Asngu pushpam
Malayalam – Shanku Pushpam
Hinid- Aparajit
Bengali – Aparajita
Kannada- Nagar Hedi
Sanskrit – Vishadoshagni
This is said to be used in Ayurvedic medicine! It is also used a coloring agent – a natural food color / dye in Thailand and other Asian countries.
This flower got the name – Clitoria ternatea, as it resembles the female body part and is hence used to treat infertility, sexual ailments, menstrual problems, gonorrhea etc.
Before going to the absolutely simple recipe, it is very essential to select flowers that you are sure comes from a good source,meaning, no pesticide etc have been used.Best if you can use home grown ones…
Since this is a very simple ‘recipe’ , I am sharing two ways of making this drink that has different flavors…
Now to make this drink, you can use fresh flowers as shown above or used dried ones. When you have loads of these flowers in your garden, dry them and store for future use.
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| Dried butterfly pea Flower |
I used:
Recipe Source:Pranee’s Thai Kitchen
Fresh butterfly pea flowers
Hot water – 1 cup
Honey to taste
Steep the flowers in hot water for 10 minutes or till the flowers turn pale and the water turns blue.Add honey to taste and serve chilled.
This recipe can also be used as a dye in your dishes…
You can add a little bit of lemon juice and watch it turn to a beautiful violet.Can you see it is changing color below the watermark!
And now, it has fully changed color! Lemon juice , due to its acidity, is the reason for this color change…
Now for the second recipe
I used:
Tender coconut water- 2 cup
Fresh flowers- 10 numbers
Basil seeds-1/4 teaspoon, soaked in 1/8 cup water
Soak the flowers in tender coconut water for a few hours and refrigerate till the flowers turn pale. Strain and serve immediately with a little of the soaked basil seeds
If you haven’t noticed yet, the color os different in the two methods. The one prepared with tender coconut water is more darker and I loved this color over the other one…
Take a look at the Blogging Marathon page to check out what my friends are cooking in this A- Z series in BM # 32…
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Wow look at those wonderful colors …lovely
That drink must be incredible!
Wow! What a beautiful drink. I have never thought you could make a drink with Sangu poo…This is a common flower and also blooms in abundance. Love love the color….I will absolutely try this recipe when i come to India next time 🙂
Must have been delighted to discover a culinary use for your flowering plant! The colour of the drink (all the versions) is just so beautiful! Love the way you captured the changing colour from blue to purple
I love this color… so vibrant and attractive.. hope this ingredients available here.
wow thats a very very unique and interesting drink dear 🙂 you are rocking !!
both versions what a gorgeous color – will have to see if I can find dried flowers in Chinatown here at the Thai grocer. wonder so much what it tastes like
Omg, look at the colour of the drink, PJ dont tortue us with ur beautiful choices.. Colour of the drink is just breath taking.
What lovely colors PJ. Never thought these flowers are edible. Awesome post and kudos to your research 🙂
Wow nvr know that these flowers can be used in food… Gr8….
My mother grows this creeper and I had no idea that the flowers are edible. BTW they are called shanku puvvu in Telugu. 🙂
Love the color. Do they impart any flavor to the dish?
you r turning into ayurvedic scientists slowly PJ, i mean , even after reading about the recipe i would have hesitated to try this recipe , i am so glad you have a garden and the courage to make recipes from flowers in your own garden, it is truly experimental…and love the way you have presnted and also the made the different concoctions, truly wonderful
beautiful all natural cleanser….fabulous colour of the drink
OMG PJ, I seriously would have never thought these flowers would be used in food…I remember having these on our fence during childhood. Now of course I don't see this often. I do remember reading that this is used in medical ways, yet to prepare a drink, very interesting..
Never knew one could eat this flowers. What gorgeous colour of the drink. Coconut water brings the blue out so well. I have lots of these flowers and now will make this stunning drink. A big thank you.
the color is awesome!!! mind blowing pictures.. great to have some fresh tea!!!
Sowmya
God .. Drink with Clitoria.. I am just speechless… I have lots of these in y garden.. Never thought it was edible.. Let me try.. BTW the drink looks awesome
wow! What a fabulous colour! Thanks for sharing this unusual drink.
my my my !! you are doing full justice to mother Nature, PJ ! what stunning colours and yummy flavours.. yes, Shanky Pushpam is so much around us, never thot a drink is possible with it.. Keep those beauties coming :)))
I have grown this flower for so many years in my childhood and I cannot believe that those flowers can make such spectacularly colorful and healthy drinks!
Oh my God. this is such a lovely explanation. Love it
I have only seen this flower in decorating the plate never knew one could actually make a drink out of it def bookmarking and going to try it looks so inviting.
Wow..One healthy drink.. Never knew this flower had so many medicinal properties to it. We call it shiva lingam poovu in telugu & offer it to lord shiva..
Didn't know that sangu pu is edible. Love the colour of both the drinks…
Thanks for sharing.
I like the color of it,and it must be incredible!
Lovely color…I tried hibiscus tea for the last month's Mexican theme (didnt post it though:D), that too gave a beautiful color but much milder than this one.
I never knew shankhu pushpam gives such a deep beautiful color. Love the whole idea, actually.
omg. I never knew we good use this in our food…lovley colour..both blue and violet
Wow..simply wow..I read the post on the first day itself..but was speechless. ..the drinks look amazing..love the shades..and capturing the variation in shades is amazing. .too good.hats off I would just pass off the recipe if I had to choose in the first go:))
OMG PJ one can eat this flowers!!! wonder. we use these flowers for pooja… Yes in telugu it is called Shanku puvu. the color of the drink is so beautiful
My God PJ I did not know we could eat these flowers. Next rainy season I ma planting these. I was showing my colleague these pics in the Office for I just could not stop staring at the colours and needless to say she was stunned. Beautiful.
Wow.. Thats truly exotic…lovely drink…
Woow New and interesting, Never new we can make drink using sangu poo..Thanks for sharing..
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