A-N-A-T-O-M-I-Z-E: Khao Phad Samunprai (Butterfly Pea Flower Rice)

By Raul Dias

There's just something about the twinning of the words 'flowers' and 'Thailand' that seems so very natural and organic. While the South East Asian nation's national flower--the orchid is flown into India by the plane-load almost every day straight from the Pak Khlong Talat wholesale flower market in Bangkok, decorating many a wedding mandap, it's edible counterparts are na'er too far away!
And while we've seen the 'blooming' of chrysanthemum flowers and syrups in several cocktail
preparations across India, it is another flower that's been recently painting the Mumbai dining scene a vivid shade of blue. Enter the butterfly pea flower.
Now, this flower of the clitoria ternatea plant when steeped in water has been a perennial rite herbal tea in Thailand for centuries where it is known as nam dok anchan. It’s also renowned for its healt benefits taking care of everything from conjunctivitis to enhancing memory and brain power.
Distilling all this into one bizarre looking, but super flavourful rice preparation is Mumbai's newest Thai restaurant Nara Thai. Khao Phad Samunprai or Butterfly Pea Flower Rice may be a tongue-twister of a name, but this novel rice preparation is a delicious blend of pre-cooked short grain rice, sliced lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves that are wok-tossed with young peppercorns, deep fried red chilli and splashed with the unusual white soy sauce and a decoction of dried butterfly pea flowers steeped in warm water.
At first luridly blue, this rice takes on a shocking purple hue when one squeezes a bit of lime juice over it, with the acidity of the lime juice reacting enough with the butterfly pea flower to change colours.
How's that for a touch of psychedelia on your plate!

(This column first appeared in the 22nd October 2017 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 8 http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/butterfly-pea-flower-rice/article19895112.ece)

Out of the Blue!

Imparting a brilliant blue hue to everything it comes in contact with, the butterfly pea flower from. Thailand finds a firm place for itself on the menus of restaurants and bars across the city

By Raul Dias

While chemistry might not have been everybody’s cup of tea in school (it certainly wasn’t ours), it’s sure proving to be everybody’s ‘cup of cocktail’ these days. Quite literally! Enter the brilliantly blue hued butterfly pea flower from Thailand with its amazing chameleon-like colour changing properties, turning purple when it comes in contact with lime juice.
“This unique flower with its colour changing property makes it the perfect addition to a good-looking drink without using any artificial colour,” says Ami Shroff, mixologist at London Taxi, one of the recent places that have cottoned onto this trend that we’re seeing gaining popularity over the last six months or so.
To get a little geeky on you, this flower of the clitoria ternatea plant when steeped in water has been a perennial favourite herbal tea in many South Asian countries and particularly Thailand for centuries where it is known as nam dok anchan. It’s also renowned for its health benefits taking care of everything from conjunctivitis to enhancing memory and brain power.
“Our mixologists focus heavily on local ingredients from Southeast Asia”, says Tanai Shirali -Director Operations Bellona Hospitality, the guys behind the popular Shizusan Shophouse & Bar and avid users of the butterfly pea flower. “It isn’t sweet and syrupy and has an earthier woody taste like the regular green tea. However, most people like their cocktails a little sweet so the addition on the citrusy lime not only changes the colour but when mixed with palm sugar gives the cocktail the required sweet note.”
At the newly opened Nara Thai restaurant, the flower features prominently on the both the food and drinks menus. “The butterfly pea flower is a very neutral ingredient as it doesn’t have any strong flavour of its own and doesn’t influence the flavour profile of the drink or dish. It imparts a different colour depending on the citrus level of the dish/drink. One can experiment with the colours at the same time make sure that the flavour doesn’t get affected”, says Karyna Bajaj Executive Director KA Hospitality, the group that has got Nara Thai to India.

Here’s a glimpse at the many ways the flower finds itself ‘adorning’ drinks and dishes across Mumbai:

Butterfly Pea Sour
A refreshing iteration of a classic Peruvian pisco sour, this cocktail at the just opened Nara Thai pushes the creative envelope a whole lot further. Made just like a standard pisco sour, with pisco, lime juice and sugar syrup, this one is enhanced with a tea made with butter fly pea flowers and is anointed with the obligatory cloud of foamed egg white and a dried butterfly pea flower as a garnish.
At Nara Thai, Ground Floor, Raheja Towers, BKC
Call 61378080
Cost Rs 600

Hattori Hanzo
The cocktail menu at Shizusan Shophouse & Bar focuses on classic cocktails with an Asian twist using lesser-used ingredients like oolong tea, and, in this case, butterfly pea flowers. A mélange of tequila, butterfly pea flower tea, lime the cocktail is named after the warrior/monk Hattori Hanzo. When made with precision, the drink changes colour and is an apt toast to celebrate Hattori Hanzo’s dual life.
At Shizusan, Skyzone, Highstreet Phoenix, Lower Parel
Call 7045004138
Cost Rs 575

Blue Chamomile G&T
Another riff on a tired and tested cocktail—this time the G&T—is the blue chamomile G&T at the brand new restobar London Taxi. Here, the gin is infused with dried butterfly pea flowers and chamomile and kept very simple with the addition of lime juice and tonic water.
At London Taxi, Kamala Mills, A-Wing, Trade World, Lower Parel
Call 9029990454
Cost Rs 725

Not Just in Drinks...

Khao Phad Samunprai (Butterfly Pea Flower Rice)
Never mind its tongue-twister of a name, this super novel rice preparation is proof that the use of the
butterfly pea flower needn’t be limited to drinks only! At first luridly blue, this rice that’s made with short grain Thai rice, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and white soy sauce, takes on a shocking purple hue when one squeezes a bit of lime juice over it.
At Nara Thai, Ground Floor, Raheja Towers, BKC
Call 61378080
Cost Rs 250

(An edited version of this article appeared in the 11th September 2017 issue of the evening edition of Mid-Day newspaper, India)