F for Flowers : The Underrated Source of Nutrients

CultureHealthNutritionWellness
Written By Akanksha Pandey

Special Collaboration with dwellsinthepast (Behance : Priyanka Jayarajan) my very gifted friend ,who has so beautifully painted all the seasonal flowers you see below. Feel free to reach out to her for commissions for special occasions :)

Edible Flowers of India, Summer of 2020

In culinary circles edible flowers are the new expensive, exotic, experience. But they are hardly a fad, and have been a part of our food tradition for centuries.

They've been part of teas, infusions, jams, pickles, oils, medicines and delicious seasonal cooking across India. This week we are featuring edible flowers and recipes around how you can enjoy them.

The Banana Flower a.k.a Vazhapoo

The banana flower is one such aromatic, nutrient dense example. It's packed with iron, calcium, copper, magnesium and is a great at balancing hormones, with anti-cancer properties. The process of procuring the produce and make it ready to eat is quite extensive, but the end product - It is completely worth it.

The Banana Flower

a.k.a ‘Vazhapoo’ in Kerala

2. Vazhapoo Fritters

  • 1/3 Cup Chana Dal

  • 1/3 Cup Vazhapoo

  • 1/4 cup Chopped Onion

  • 1-2 Chillies

  • Curry Leaves

  • Ginger Garlic Paste

  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. Soak and grind the chana dal

  2. Mix all the other ingredients and shallow fry or bake them over a tawa like a tikki

  3. Enjoy with chai!

Across the warm night's subtle dusk,

       

Where linger yet the purple light

And perfume of the wild, sweet musk,—

So softly glowing, softly bright,

Tremble the rhododendron bells,

The rose-pink rhododendron bells.

Ella Higginson's When the Birds Go North Again (1898)

Rhododendron a.k.a ‘Buransh’ coolers are part of Garhwali culture and living for centuries. This is a fun twist to it. The juice in itself can be used as a refreshing cooler. It is rich in antioxidants, bioactive compounds and several essential minerals.

1. Rhododendron or Buransh Cooler

1 ltr water,

150 gm rock sugar,

200 gm Rhododendrons or Buransh flowers

Method

Clean the flowers thoroughly by removing the stigma and pistil. Wash with fresh water and transfer in a pan filled with water. Boil then simmer for a few minutes. Add sodium bicarbonate to the mixture and stir well. After about 15 minutes, the flowers will start releasing juice, colour and aroma. Sieve to separate from the liquid. Once cooled, extract some more juice by squeezing the flowers between your palms. Add sugar to the liquid and simmer again for 15 minutes. Remove pot from fire. To drink, mix one part juice with double or three parts water.

2. Poached Pears in Rhododendron Syrup

Juice as above - You can also create the juice with a mix of Rose and Rhododendron flowers

Pears or even apples

Dash of Cinnamon

Less than a pinch of nutmeg

Method

Boil the pears in a syrup of Rhododendron and Spices until soft and mushy. Use this over yogurt and muesli for a quick desert, or over a slice of bread, or even a bowl of fresh fruits for a punch of flavour.

3. Rhododendron Parathas

Wheat flour-Two cups

Gram flour-Half a cup

Chopped buransh -Half a cup

Chopped onion-Two tablespoon

Chopped fresh coriander-One teaspoon

Grated ginger-One teaspoon

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder-Half teaspoon

Chopped green chilly (Optional)

Procedure

Sieve the flour and gram flour together and mix together all the ingredients.Add water and knead to till the dough becomes stiff.Make a dough ball and roll it out.Cook it on a flat frying pan, apply ghee and cook till done.

Serve with pickle and yogurt.

4. Rhododendron Chutney

Buransh - Five-six flowers

Coriander- One bunch

Mint - Half a bunch

Sesame Seeds - Two tablespoon

Chopped onions- Two tablespoon

Chopped ginger- One teaspoon

Lemon juice - Two teaspoon

Salt as per taste

Honey - Half tea spoon

Procedure

Blend  buransh flowers, fresh coriander, and fresh mint after washing them properly.Toss sesame seeds in a pan over heat and add to the blender. Add chopped onions, ginger and blend to achieve desired consistency of sauce or chutney. Remove to a serving bowl and add salt, lemon juice and honey. Mix well.

“The common hill-flowers wither, and blossom again. Only the laburnum will be as yellow next June as it is now.”

Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)

‘Konnapoo’ has tremendous medicinal properties and every part of the tree including the root, leaves, bark ,fruit and flower are used for a multitude of ailments ranging from digestive to skin disorders.

The Indian Laburnum (Cassia Fistula) a.k.a Konnapoo Chutney

  • Konnapoo 4 handfuls of petals

  • Curry leaves 2 handfuls

  • Black peppercorns 1 tbsp

  • Cold-pressed coconut oil 2 tbsp

  • Grated coconut 1 and 1/2 cup

  • Bengal gram 1/4 cup

  • Sea salt to taste

  • Tamarind a small pinch

  • Ginger 1/4’ piece (optional)

  • Tempering: Curry leaves, Small dried red chillies, Mustard seeds, Urad dal

Method: Heat coconut oil to a low temperature in a cast iron ‘Kadhai’. Add curry leaves and sauté until the raw smell is gone and set aside. In the same oil, fry peppercorns and Bengal gram until the lentils turn golden. Now, add konnapoo petals and sauté until wilted. Add the curry leaves, tamarind and the coconut. Sauté until it is well mixed (five minutes). Add salt. Let it cool and grind in blender to a coarse consistency. Add water only as necessary. Remove to a dish. Temper other ingredients and add to chutney. Mix and serve.

“That which God said to the rose, and caused it to laugh in full-blown beauty, He said to my heart, and made it a hundred times more beautiful.”

Rumi

Roses have been used for centuries in so many beautiful forms. It has made its way into teas, infusions, garnishes, flavoring for desserts, sherbats and even preserves.

Gulkand is undoubtedly the most delicious preparation. It is also naturally rich in calcium and has antioxidant activity.It can be used year-round by people of all constitutions. Gulkand has been traditionally used as a cooling tonic for fatigue, lethargy, muscular aches, itching, and heat-related conditions. The beauty of the traditional recipe is that it takes upto 6 months to prepare. Over time it turns into this gorgeous, healing preserve that is anti-bacterial, cooling, immunity booster.

Traditional Gulkand

  • Rose Petals

  • Rock Sugar

  • Cardamom

Method :

  • Collect the fresh and fragrant rose petals.

  • Gently wash the petals with water and let them dry on a paper or cloth.

  • Spread a layer of rose petals in a dry glass jar.

  • Now spread a layer of sugar and cardamom mix over the rose petals evenly.

  • Then again spread a layer of petals over the sugar layer.

  • Close the jar with a lid and keep it in the sunlight for 7 – 10 days

  • Repeat the last 3 steps 3-4 times over the next few days with fresh rose petals. You can also do this only once and have it after 10 days - depending on time and availability of roses

  • Mix the gulkand every other day using a clean spoon.

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate it.

“You meet the south-west monsoon
on equal terms, in an uprising of rain.
Like a parenthesis that pre-empts the sentence,
you are a parallel world of slowness and light.”

E V Ramakrishnan, The Tamarind Tree (2006)

The pale-yellow flower with red and purple veins is often found in a dried form and adds a tart sweetness to any food aiding digestion, excellent for insulin control, is diabetic-friendly and for women who are prone to urinary infections.

1. Tamarind a.k.a Chigoor Flower Chutney

1/2 cup tamarind flower
2 tsp tuvar dal
1 tsp urid dal
1 tsp chana dal
1/4 coconut grated
3-4 red chilli
few curry leaves
hing powder
1 tsp jaggery
2 tsp oil
1 tsp jaggery
3-4 red chilli
salt
Method:

Heat oil, fry the red chilli and curry leaves, remove from fire. In the same kadai, add the chana dal, toor dal, urad dal and fry them too. Add the tamarind flower, hing powder and saute. Cool and grind all the ingredients together to a coarse chutney. You can make it thick or semi solid form as you wish. Serve with idli, dosa, upma, rice etc.

2. Tamarind Flower Rasam

This is the simplest way to use them - To your usual Rasam, right at the end, add the flowers and bring to a boil.

The fresh flowers add a delicate freshness and of course pack it with nutrients as well.

3. Chickpeas in Tamarind (Chigoor) Salan

Ingredients:
Boiled Chickpeas – 500 gms, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
Oil – 1/4 cup + 1 tblsp
Onions – 5, finely sliced
Green Chillies – 8, slit lengthwise
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Ginger Paste – 1 tsp
Garlic Paste – 1 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder – 2 tsp, dry roasted
Water as required
Tamarind Tree (Chigoor) Leaves and Flowers – 2 cups
Curry Leaves – 6
Salt as per taste
Red Chilli Powder

For Seasoning:
Dry Red Chillies – 3
Garlic – 6 cloves, peeled
Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Method:
1. Boil the chickpeas well
2. Heat oil and fry the onions till golden.
3. Add green chillies, turmeric, ginger and garlic.
4. Fry together.
5. Add the chickpeas
6. Add 3 cups of water and cook on a moderate heat t
7. When there is about 1 cup of water left, add the cumin powder and tamarind leaves and flowers.
8. Cook together for about 10 to 12 minutes stirring occasionally till the leaves soften.
9. Add curry leaves, pour in 1 to 2 cups of water and simmer.
10. Add salt to taste.
11. Add red chilli powder if required.
12. Heat oil in a frying pan.
13. Add the whole red chillies, garlic cloves and mustard seeds.
14. Fry till dark brown and pour over the Chickpeas

“When all trees admit defeat to the parched summer. Only the Neem tree with umpteen pint-sized, whitish buds, stands above the creviced earth like a Paladin champion”

1. Neem Flower Curry [ Locally : Vepampoo Kara Kuzhambu Recipe (Dried Neem Flower Gravy) ]

Ingredients

  • 12 to 15 Pearl onions (Sambar Onions)

  • 4 to 5 cloves Garlic , finely chopped

  • 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)

  • 3/4 tablespoon Sambar Powder

  • 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (Dhania)

  • Tamarind , lemon sized

  • Water , as required

  • Salt , to taste

For tempering 1

  • 3 teaspoons Sesame (Gingelly) Oil

  • 1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida (hing)

  • 1/3 teaspoon Mustard seeds

  • 1/2 teaspoon Methi Seeds (Fenugreek Seeds)

  • 1/4 teaspoon Chana dal (Bengal Gram Dal)

  • 2 Dry Red Chillies

For tempering 2

  • 1 teaspoon Sesame (Gingelly) Oil

  • 1 tablespoon Neem leaves , dry

Method 

  1. To begin making the Vepampoo Kara Kuzhambu recipe, firstly make the tamarind juice with required water.

  2. Heat oil in a kadhai and add all the ingredients mentioned under ‘For tempering 1’ in the order given above.

  3. After a minute, add the garlic and salute it till for about a minute.

  4. Next, add small onions and Sauté until its fried nicely and becomes soft.

  5. Add turmeric powder, sambar powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix everything well.

  6. Add the tamarind juice, remaining water and curry leaves. Let it cook nicely until it becomes thick.

  7. Take a small tadka pan and add oil & neem flowers and roast it. You can dry roast this also.

  8. Switch off the curry gas and add the neem flowers.

  9. Your Vepampoo Kara Kuzhambu is ready to be served.

2. Neem Flower Raita a.k.a Vepampoo Pachadi

  • Neew flowers - 2 Tbsp worth

  • Tamarind extract - 1 cup

  • Jaggery powdered - 1/3 cup

  • Cardamom powder - 1/8 tsp

  • Salt - pinch

  • Rice flour - 1/4 tsp

To temper:

  • Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

  • Green chilli - 1 slit

Instructions

  • Add a tbsp of water to rice flour and make a paste

  • In hot 1/3 cup of water add powdered jaggery and strain for impurities

  • In a pan on medium heat add ghee, when it is hot add mustard seeds and green chilli; let it crackle

  • Add the neem flowers, the tamarind extract and let it boil till the raw smell goes off, around 4- 5 minutes

  • Add the jaggery syrup and let it cook for 3 minutes

  • Add rice flour paste cook till the pachadi thickens