Edible flowers are witnessing a
resurgence across the country, as traditional recipes are rediscovered and new
experiments get carried out. The Indian culinary world might
have embraced the concept of edible flowers fairly recently, but they have been
a part of traditional Indian cuisines since the very beginning. Be it blossoms
such as hibiscus, roses and jasmine ( mogra ) or foods like banana,
cucumber and pumpkin in their flowering stage, Indian cuisine has had regional
flowers being fried into fritters, steamed into teas and cooked into gravies
for aeons.
Recently, however, these floral
ingredients have stepped beyond the humble walls of grandmas’ kitchens, taking
their place in the menus of upscale restaurants and the tables of young
Indians.
Floral resurgence. Raka Chakrawarti, founder and CEO
of online retail store Gourmet Delight, notes a sudden surge in interest in
such ingredients. “Demand from bakers and chefs has been consistent for the
past two years, but it’s only now that these flowers are finding their way into
households,” she says. Chakrawarti says, “People have started waking up to the
health benefits.”
Namita Jatia’s Panvel-based
organic urban farm, The Farmhouse Company, has also seen a steady rise in
demand for edible flowers. “We supply mainly to clubs, organic cafés and
five-star hotels in Mumbai. Our clients order them up to three times a week.”
While The Farmhouse Company
supplies different varieties of flowers, Gourmet Delight’s offerings comprise a
mix of either seasonal flowers, or blossoms such as basil, chamomile and
hyacinth. “Customers call to learn how to prepare them and understand what each
is good for,” Chakrawarti says.
Variety is key
Home chefs like Guwahati-based
Kashmiri Borkakoty, however, can reel off a long list of flowers and the
recipes best suited to each, without pausing for breath. “Hibiscus, rose,
rosella, moringa , basil, cucumber flowers... there is one called
heron flower, which is made into fritters. Pea flowers are had as a drink,” she
informs, adding, “The night jasmine can be had as a curry, as fritters, or askhar .”
A quintessentially Assamese
palate cleanser, khar can also be made with the regional tita flower.
Made with water filtered through the ash of a banana plant, this alkaline dish
is a regional staple, and marks the start of traditional meals. In Bengal, the
blossoms of banana and onion are used as any vegetable would be, with a host of
recipes, or just cooked along with fish. Pumpkin flowers are popular as
fritters.Says Mumbai-based food writer Ankiet Gulabani, “Pumpkin blossoms are
available this season — January and February, and also for a short while post
monsoons.” He says onion and pumpkin
blossoms are quite versatile, and recommends using them in dried shrimp
preparations.
Indian to the fore
“I want to see more and more
Indian flowers being used, like marigold for instance,” he says. He proceeds to
wax eloquent about the use of rose petals in Sindhi food, his grandmother’s
recipes being favourites. You don’t always have to approach gourmet farmers to
source them, either. Dried rose petals are available in plenty at local grocery
stores, he informs.
Bottoms up
It’s not all about food: certain
flowers add a great touch to drinks as well. While chamomile or jasmine — or
even hibiscus — in tea is nothing new, blue pea flowers have started turning
heads because of the dramatic touch they lend to cocktails.
“Aparajita flowers have quite a
bit of alkaline content, and when you bring it into contact with lemon juice,
it changes colour,” says Swayampurna Mishra, food blogger and food stylist.
“It’s a nice, healthy way to add colour to your drinks and food,” she adds,
describing how she played with the ingredient at a Christmas party. “I served
the lemon juice in separate test tubes, telling my guests they could add it to
their cocktails as and when they needed. Every time they did so, the colour
would change from blue, to a lovely purple, to red, and then pink. They were
surprised every time,” she smiles.
The best part about the flower is
its easy access. “It grows quite well in tropical climate; I have a huge shrub
right here in my house, so I can use it whenever I want,” she says. Nothing
quite like picking fresh flowers, and then tossing them into your food.
