Blue rice – Butterfly pea flower rice is a treat for eyes and interesting to prepare. I have made it in south Indian style by adapting from original Malaysian Nasi Kerabu.
Sometimes, it’s all about the things that treats our eyes. This blue rice has no distinct flavor by itself, but have made it like south Indian lemon rice.
Butterfly pea flower is used to infuse it’s natural blue color for rice. This flower is known as sangu poo in Tamil and Aparajita flower, widely in India.
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Ingredients
Butterfly pea flower can be fresh or dried. I used dry flowers, easily available online.
Scientific name: Clitoria ternatea
Other names: Asian pigeonwings, bluebellvine, blue pea, butterfly pea, cordofan pea, Darwin pea, Aparajita, Sangu poo (Tamil)
- Butterfly pea flower
- Basmati rice
- Lemon
- South Indian spices
See recipe card for full list and quantities.
Substitutions
- Butterfly pea flower – instead of dry flowers you can use fresh flowers too.
- Rice– I have use basmati rice (India gate Super), you can use any type of rice like sona masuri, seeraga sambar etc.
- Lemon grass – If you do not have it, skip it. It is not anyways a dominant flavor in this recipe. Instead, use a teaspoon of lemon zest or lime zest for more depth in flavor.
Serving suggestions
The rice has no specific taste or flavor just with the butterfly pea flower. Since we are adding the southern flavors, it is same as lemon rice actually.
So it pairs well with kootu, sambar or aviyal too. This makes it balanced too in nutritional basis.
Video
Is video more your thing? Watch blue rice video in my Youtube channel
Storage
You can store the leftover rice in fridge and consume with in 24 hours. Since we add lemon juice later, I suggest not more than that.
Top tip
You can do this in pressure cooker as well just like you cook rice regularly. Instead of water, use the flower infused water.
Soaking rice in hot water gives longest grain. Do try it.
Recipe card
South Indian style Blue rice, Butterfly pea flower rice
Ingredients
- 12 Butterfly pea flower (dry) sangu poo/ Aparajita flower
- 2 stalks Lemon grass crushed – Optional
- ½ cup Basmati rice
- 1 lemon
- Salt as needed
To temper
- 2 teaspoon Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon urad dal
- 1 teaspoon chana dal
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 2 green chilli
- 1 sprig curry leaves
Instructions
- Take a sauce pan. Add 1 cup water and bring to boil. In goes the butterfly pea flower. I added some crushed lemon grass but it is optional.
- Switch off stove and close with a lid. Let it steep for 15 minutes. In between you can give it a stir.
- Now, wash rice well 2-3 times or until the washed water drains clear. Soak in hot water for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, fish out the flowers and lemon grass. You can eventually filter too. Start heating and bring to boil.
- Now, drain water from rice completely. Add it to the boiling blue water.
- Sprinkle required salt. Bring to boil again.
- Put the flame to low and cook covered for 12-14 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Do not cook in higher heat.
- Check the bottom of pan for water. Switch off stove and fluff gently. Keep covered.
- Do not worry even if some rice is stuck to the pan. The standing time will loosen up the rice making it soft.
- After 10 minutes, the rice will be softer and fluffier.
- Now heat a small pan with oil. Splutter mustard firstly, then add urad dal, chana dal followed by ginger, green chillies and curry leaves.
- Transfer to the rice. Drizzle lemon juice and quickly give it a mix.
- The color will apparently change to purple as lemon reacts with the rice it touches. Yet the blue hue will be there. It's done.
Video
Notes
- You can do this in pressure cooker as well just like you cook rice regularly. Instead of water, use the flower infused water.
- Soaking rice in hot water gives longest grain. Do try it.
Instructions
1. Take a sauce pan. Add 1 cup water and bring to boil. Add the butterfly pea flower in it. I added some crushed lemon grass but it is optional.
2. Switch off stove and close with a lid. Let it steep for 15 minutes. In between you can give it a stir.
3. Now, wash rice well 2-3 times or until the washed water drains clear. Soak in hot water for 15 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes, fish out the flowers and lemon grass. You can eventually filter too. Start heating and bring to boil.
5. Now, drain water from rice completely. Add it to the boiling blue water.
Sprinkle required salt. Bring to boil again.
6. Put the flame to low and cook covered for 12-14 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Do not cook in higher heat.
7. Check the bottom of pan for water. Switch off stove and fluff gently. Keep covered.
8. Do not worry even if some rice is stuck to the pan. The standing time will loosen up the rice making it soft.
After 10 minutes, the rice will be softer and fluffier.
9. Now heat a small pan with oil. Splutter mustard firstly, then add urad dal, chana dal followed by ginger, green chillies and curry leaves.
10. Transfer to the rice. Drizzle lemon juice and quickly give it a mix.
11. The color will apparently change to purple as lemon reacts with the rice it touches. Yet the blue hue will be there.
Serve with any vegetable side like you do with lemon rice.
Why don’t you try a blue barfi/sweet as well just for the visual effect?! 😀
Yeah probably I should