Butterfly pea powder: Paint your plate blue

Butterfly pea powder is among the top beverage trends of 2019 and has been ruling the internet since then with its distinctive blue hue.

We eat with our eyes first and something that looks appealing to the eye ignites the appetite. Butterfly pea powder is among the top beverage trends of 2019 and has been ruling the internet since then with its distinctive blue hue. It comes from a deep blue flowering plant called Clitoria ternatea. This magical flower has anti-cancer, anti-tumor and anti-asthmatic properties. It is also beneficial for hair loss, depression and hypertension.

Homemade cake from butterfly pea powder. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Its usage began with tea drinks, cocktails, lemonade and gradually took over desserts, blue rice, smoothies, pasta, unicorn noodles and much more. Though the powder is not a common ingredient in the Indian kitchen, some chefs love to experiment with it. “We were taught in hospitality school that blue is not a food colour, but food takes us to school every day. My romance with butterfly has been a recent one, and I fell head over heels. My food philosophy is collaborative and butterfly pea flower is a perfect fit with my style of cooking. Primarily used as special tea rich with oxidants, butterfly pea flower is slowly entering the kitchen of professional chefs. Butterfly pea flower is used for its pretty blue color and for dyeing food items,” says chef Tarun Sibal.

It’s always better to use natural colours on food items. Unlike any other product, Butterfly pea powder allows chefs to add a deep blue on a plate without compromising on taste and nutrition. “People love good looking dishes but they are also conscious of what they eat. Butterfly pea powder is a natural ingredient and gained major popularity in the last two years as it is naturally blue and retains colour once treated well,” says chef Nishant Choubey. Sharing his experience of using it, he adds, “It’s simply outstanding! From iced tea to ice pop to bread to spaghetti to fried rice, I have been able to curate an entire menu based on this amazing flower. Having its base in Vietnam, it’s highly versatile and extremely fun to use.”

The ingredient has hidden magical properties. It can change its colour when used with specific products. “A drop of lime in blue tea can change its colour from blue to purple. Add any acidic elements like lime or vinegar and see the magic unfolds,” says Choubey.

The powder gives a fancy, aesthetic and rich look to the food item and can totally be used in the Indian kitchen. “From making momos, I consider momos Indian, to having a pretty looking kebab or having a floral biryani, butterfly pea flower could be used across the board. I use it for making jam, jelly with coconut milk, steam rice, or just a simple tempura, having said that I have also started using this behind the bar for infusing cocktails,” says Sibal.

Chef Juhi Pahwa, who is very conscious of the ingredients she uses in her kitchen, loves to bring it to her menu. She says, “I was smitten by it when I tried a cocktail made with butterfly pea at a bar in Phuket some years back. I had to try it out in my desserts. I usually use butterfly pea powder to color my cakes naturally as I don’t use coloring agents in my cakes. It can be used in a chiffon cake as it’s really light and will give out a beautiful azure color and works well for any berry cake as well.”

Blue pea rice with tofu kale curry

Recipe of Blue pea rice with tofu kale curryIngredients

Jasmine rice - 100 gm Blue pea flower powder - 2 tbsWater - 250 ml Boil water and add the blue pea powder Add jasmine rice in the blue tea water and steam till done.

Tofu yellow curry

Chopped onions - 1 tbs Chopped garlic - 1 tsp Butter - 50 gmCurry powder - 1 tbspRed curry paste - 3 tbspLemon juice - 1 tspSalt - a pinch Sugar - 1 tbsp Coconut milk - 150 ml Tofu - 80 gm

Add chopped onion and garlic to a pan, add butter and saute. Add curry powder, turmeric powder, and red curry paste .Add salt, and lemon juice, and sugar Add coconut milk and let everything simmer for 15 min Then add diced tofu to it and cook for another 2-3 min.

Crispy chilli kale

Fresh kale - a few leaves Chopped onion - 1tsp Chopped garlic - 1 tsp Chopped ginger - 1tsp Chilli oil - 1 tbsp Veg Oyster sauce - 1 tbsp

In a hot pan, saute some onion garlic and ginger.Add chili oil and veg oyster sauce. Add kale leaves and give a good toss.

By chef Tarun Sibal

Author tweets @ruchikagarg271