The blue magic

Shankupushpam/Butterfly pea flower/Darwin pea flower is a creeper plant. This is usually used as an ornamental plant. The distinct medicinal properties add enormous value to this beautiful vine. The leaves, roots, seeds, and flowers are all used in ayurvedic treatments to cure various diseases.

Shankupushpam is widely used in traditional Indian system of medicine as a brain tonic and is believed to improve memory and intelligence. It helps to relieve throat and eye infections. It also helps in curing skin and urinary diseases.

Butterfly pea flower is a boon to people suffering from anxiety, low energy, less memory, sleeplessness, poor eyesight, hair loss, skin loosening and conceiving problems. These flowers are rich in antioxidants, flavonoids and peptides.

The flowers are used as natural colouring agent in many recipes. They are dipped in batter and deep fried like fritters. The flowers are used to make tea and sherbet too.

It's time we included this miracle plant in our gardens. Here are a few recipes that one can make to include these flowers into our daily menu.

- Rajeshwari Puthalapattu has done her MBA in marketing and MA in English literature but has chosen to pursue her passion in cooking. She has looked into her family's heirloom recipes to bring out forgotten and rare recipes as well.

Shankupushpam Chai

Ingredients

Shankupushpam - 2

Water - 1cup,

Ginger - 1/4 tsp - crushed,

Fennel seeds - 1/4tsp,

Sweetener of your choice (sugar/honey/jaggery),

Lemon grass - 1/4inch.

Method

Heat water in a bowl,

Add crushed ginger, crushed fennel, and lemon grass along with the flowers to the boiling water,

Let the chai simmer for 5-6 on a low flame .

Turn off the flame and cover the chai with a lid, let it rest for 2mins then strain and serve.

Shankupushpam Sherbet

Ingredients

Water - 1 glass - chilled,

Lemon juice -juice of 1/2 lemon,

Basil seeds -soaked -1tsp,

Sweetener of your choice - (sugar/honey/jaggery/palm sugar)

Shankupushpam - 4 flowers.

Method

In a bowl add warm water and to it add flowers, cover it with a lid and let it rest, till the flowers decolourise.

Now strain the water and to that add lemon juice, basil seeds, and sweetener of your choice and mix well.

Serve chilled, garnished with a slice of lemon.

Shankupushpam Sheera

Ingredients

Rava/semolina - 1cup,

Sugar - 3/4cup,

Cardamom - 2 powdered,

Sesame seeds - 1tsp,

Ghee - 4tsp,

Shankupushpam - 8,

Water - 3cups,

Method

In a kadai dry roast the sesame seeds and keep it aside.

Add ghee in the kadai and fry the semolina till golden brown and keep this aside.

Now add 3cups of water and let it boil, when the water is boiling add flowers along with fried rava and cook on a low flame till it is done.

Now when the rava is completely cooked add sugar and cardamom powder mix well and sprinkle the roasted sesame too.

Mix well and turn off the flame and serve garnished with flower.