I had planted some Blue Pea plants back in my garden and it blooms alot beautiful vivid blue flowers. Quite an easy to plant and doesn't need much care. This is a vining plant that crept along the fences seen by the street or gardens. The flowers of this vine have the shape of human female genitals, hence the Latin name of "Clitoria". Names in other languages include bunga telang (Malay) / 蝶豆 dié dòu (Mandarin Chinese).
In Southeast Asia, blue pea flowers has been used to dye drink and food shades of blue for centuries. In Malay cooking, an aqueous extract is used to colour glutinous rice for Kuih Ketan (also known as pulut tai tai or pulut tekan in Peranakan/Nyonya cooking) and in Nyonya Chang (glutinous rice dumplings). In Kelantan, it is used to colour white rice for Nasi Kerabu.
I just harvest the flowers every 2 days as the flowers usually blossoming around sunrise at 6 a.m. and lasting only 24 hours before withering.
Then I will air-dry them before keeping in containers for storing.
The blue color used in the making of this kueh is not artificial coloring. It's uses natural blue colouring from the Blue Pea Flower.
Made this Pulut Tai Tai (aka Kuih Ketan / Pulut Tekan), a Peranakan or Nyonya delicacy for afternoon tea time. Love the marble effect of white & blue hues in the rice. The blue color used in the making of this kueh is not artificial coloring. It's uses natural blue colouring from the Blue Pea Flower.
Often served together with Pandan Kaya (Coconut Egg Jam).
Click here for Pandan Kaya recipe: http://michelleleeyy.wix.com/cookwithmi#!Homemade-Smooth-Pandan-Kaya-Coconut-Egg-Jam/cmbz/55e148eb0cf2c1d1fd63858e
Ingredients: (serves 2-3) 8 pcs
80g Glutinous Rice
45ml Coconut Milk
20ml Water
1/4 tbsp Sugar
pinch of Salt
30 pcs Dried Blue Pea Flowers (Bunga Telang)
2 pcs Pandan Leaves
Step by Step:
1. Remove the green stem of the blue pea flowers. Rinse. Soaked blue pea flowers in a small bowl with 3 tbsp of hot water. Soak for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, the blue color from the blue pea flowers has transfer to the water.
2. Wash glutinous rice and separate into 2 bowls of equal portion. Soak 1 bowl with plain water. Another with blue pea flowers extracts. Add abit more extra water & make sure water covers the rice. Soak them in the fridge for overnight.
After soaking overnight. The rice will absorb most of the water.
3. Combine coconut milk, water, salt & sugar in a bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds to heat up.
4. Drain away excess water from the soaking. Put rice and pandan leaves in container/plate side by side for steaming. Use a spoon sprinkle half portion of the coconut milk mixture onto the rice. Steam for 10 mins over rapid boiling water.
5. Discard the pandan leaves. Use a chopstick to fluff up the rice and add in the balance of the coconut milk mixture. Don't forget to put the fresh pandan leaves on top. Return to steam for another 15 minutes.
6. After done steaming, scoop rice into another clean pan/plate. You may line with banana leaves or some cling wrap for the base. After that line with banana leaves on top and press down the rice till compact and all stick together. (For me, i'm using aluminium foil.) Then use something heavy to put on top of the rice to weigh it down. Leave to cool down properly.
7. Once cool down, you may cut to your preferred size & thickness.
8. Serve with kaya (coconut egg jam).
(below update : made this again on 4th May 2020 : served with my homemade pumpkin kaya)
