Growing up in Kodaikanal, a hill-station in the western ghats, I loved using Nasturtiums in my salad. However, as I moved to Mumbai, I realized that I need to find local flowers that are edible and would enhance my food. Every website that I looked at would talk about Dandelions, Pansies, Calendula etc which are not really 'local'. So I decided to make a list that would enable people to quickly ascertain what could be easily available in Mumbai and other cities of India. Here you can find details around 12 flowers from my list.
Roses are used quite commonly in Indian cuisine. It's important to choose the right variety of rose for your cooking needs. You cannot choose some petals off flowers from a bouquet as they aren't fragrant enough and are covered with pesticide. The constant use of pesticide in the country has largely removed the delightful fragrance from the roses. Today, the flowers look and feel like the rose we know, but don't smell the same. Roses feature in wines, jams, Gulkhand, kheer. rose milk, kulfi, sharbat, laddoos and just as rose water as well.
Marigold flowers are ubiquitous in Mumbai. From garlands, to pandals to our tea cups, the yellow/ gold flower is so part of Mumbai's festivities and celebrations. That scene in the movie 'Monsoon wedding' , where the wedding decorators are shown to be eating the petals as they proceed with their work, is a classic snapshot of India. Marigolds can be used in teas, salads, food coloring and in flavoring vinegar
Chrysanthemums or 'mums' as they are fondly called, are a pleasure in the garden as well as in your kitchen. The best place to buy mums are near temples in Mumbai. If you visit the temple zones or near flower markets at around 5pm in the evening, you will be able to pick up a whole bag of these flowers. They keep well in the fridge for over a week and taste great in teas, wines, etc. Chrysanthemum contains a good amount of beta carotene. When steeped in hot water and consumed as tea, it breaks down into Vitamin A. Vitamin A behaves like an antioxidant in many ways, and therefore eliminates oxidative stress and damaged cells in organ systems around the body. Chrysanthemum tea has long been used topically for this reason, as it can clear up skin irritation, redness and chronic conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis. It also helps to generally reduce the signs of aging, as well as wrinkles and blemishes, thanks to the antioxidant content of the flowers. You can even blend some flowers in your favorite cream and use topically.
Neem Flowers are truly a blessing to your liver. It has now been well established that the bitter taste greatly enhances the health of your liver. The neem flower is that right ingredient for that requirement. The veppam poo rasam of south India is very popular and something that you can try, to get your family accustomed to the taste. Other than the delicious rasam, you can use the flowers in salads, raita, tea, flavored rice, pakora and chutney powder.
Hibiscus flowers are beautiful as they are beneficial. I notice that people are hesitant to use the flower in food because of its slimy quality. The mucilaginous feel is not explicit when the hibiscus is used in wines, flavored sharbat and teas. The Dasavala thambuli (Like a raita) of Karnataka is quite delightful. You can steep a couple of flowers in vinegar and then use as a salad dressing. Hibiscus jam is very delectable and the flowers are quite impressive in jellies and lemonade. You can color and flavor your cooking oil with the flowers and yes, the flower power in your hair oil is common knowledge.
Zucchini flowers are not as easily available as the fruit. If you are able to get your hands on a few, do try baking them, stuffing them or just as pakoras. They are delightful.
Agathi flowers on the other hand can be gotten quite easily, specially in Maharashtra. They are available in two colors, red and white, and are used in curries and as bhajjias.
Jasmine flowers are my favorite. The mogra is so fragrant that you have to use in sparingly in food and drink. I find it useful to first take an extract of the flowers before I use them. The Jasmine flower makes a wonderful cocktail. Color some gin with blue shankupushpi flowers , add lime juice and a splash of jasmine extract and the drink tastes delicious and looks wonderful. The flowers can be used in flavored rice, ice cream and also in omelets (Yes!) Jasmine can be used in teas and sharbat as well.
Tulsi flowers can be eaten on their own without any additional garnish. They are used in making fillings for modak and in cool summer beverages. They add value through fragrance, appearance and through their medicinal properties.
Lemon flowers are wonderful in icecream. There is something truly addictive about their fragrance & has been proven to be mood elevators. Lemon flower curd tarts are simply amazing. Of course, we cannot forget their use in lemonade and in sharbat. Try using them in oils, cocktails and salads
Konna flowers (Cassia Fistula) make delicious chutney. They can be pickled easily and look great on your salad. They add value to a payasam and work well as garnish in your lemon rice. They have a wide range of medicinal benefits and are a worthy addition to your pantry. If you can get dry flowers, you can use them in teas, vinegar and in curries
Very few people seem to be comfortable using Papaya flowers. They are slightly bitter in taste and work very well in stir fries. If you enjoy fish, you'll be amazed at how delicious a fish dish can become with the addition of papaya flowers. A wild rice and papaya salad could be a complete meal by itself in terms of nutrition.
Our country has more than 250+ edible flowers that are beautiful, fragrant and highly nutritious. Speak to your vegetable vendor to arrange for at least a few every week.
Roses are used quite commonly in Indian cuisine. It's important to choose the right variety of rose for your cooking needs. You cannot choose some petals off flowers from a bouquet as they aren't fragrant enough and are covered with pesticide. The constant use of pesticide in the country has largely removed the delightful fragrance from the roses. Today, the flowers look and feel like the rose we know, but don't smell the same. Roses feature in wines, jams, Gulkhand, kheer. rose milk, kulfi, sharbat, laddoos and just as rose water as well.
Marigold flowers are ubiquitous in Mumbai. From garlands, to pandals to our tea cups, the yellow/ gold flower is so part of Mumbai's festivities and celebrations. That scene in the movie 'Monsoon wedding' , where the wedding decorators are shown to be eating the petals as they proceed with their work, is a classic snapshot of India. Marigolds can be used in teas, salads, food coloring and in flavoring vinegarChrysanthemums or 'mums' as they are fondly called, are a pleasure in the garden as well as in your kitchen. The best place to buy mums are near temples in Mumbai. If you visit the temple zones or near flower markets at around 5pm in the evening, you will be able to pick up a whole bag of these flowers. They keep well in the fridge for over a week and taste great in teas, wines, etc. Chrysanthemum contains a good amount of beta carotene. When steeped in hot water and consumed as tea, it breaks down into Vitamin A. Vitamin A behaves like an antioxidant in many ways, and therefore eliminates oxidative stress and damaged cells in organ systems around the body. Chrysanthemum tea has long been used topically for this reason, as it can clear up skin irritation, redness and chronic conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis. It also helps to generally reduce the signs of aging, as well as wrinkles and blemishes, thanks to the antioxidant content of the flowers. You can even blend some flowers in your favorite cream and use topically.
Neem Flowers are truly a blessing to your liver. It has now been well established that the bitter taste greatly enhances the health of your liver. The neem flower is that right ingredient for that requirement. The veppam poo rasam of south India is very popular and something that you can try, to get your family accustomed to the taste. Other than the delicious rasam, you can use the flowers in salads, raita, tea, flavored rice, pakora and chutney powder.Hibiscus flowers are beautiful as they are beneficial. I notice that people are hesitant to use the flower in food because of its slimy quality. The mucilaginous feel is not explicit when the hibiscus is used in wines, flavored sharbat and teas. The Dasavala thambuli (Like a raita) of Karnataka is quite delightful. You can steep a couple of flowers in vinegar and then use as a salad dressing. Hibiscus jam is very delectable and the flowers are quite impressive in jellies and lemonade. You can color and flavor your cooking oil with the flowers and yes, the flower power in your hair oil is common knowledge.
Zucchini flowers are not as easily available as the fruit. If you are able to get your hands on a few, do try baking them, stuffing them or just as pakoras. They are delightful.
Agathi flowers on the other hand can be gotten quite easily, specially in Maharashtra. They are available in two colors, red and white, and are used in curries and as bhajjias. Jasmine flowers are my favorite. The mogra is so fragrant that you have to use in sparingly in food and drink. I find it useful to first take an extract of the flowers before I use them. The Jasmine flower makes a wonderful cocktail. Color some gin with blue shankupushpi flowers , add lime juice and a splash of jasmine extract and the drink tastes delicious and looks wonderful. The flowers can be used in flavored rice, ice cream and also in omelets (Yes!) Jasmine can be used in teas and sharbat as well.
Tulsi flowers can be eaten on their own without any additional garnish. They are used in making fillings for modak and in cool summer beverages. They add value through fragrance, appearance and through their medicinal properties.
Lemon flowers are wonderful in icecream. There is something truly addictive about their fragrance & has been proven to be mood elevators. Lemon flower curd tarts are simply amazing. Of course, we cannot forget their use in lemonade and in sharbat. Try using them in oils, cocktails and salads
Konna flowers (Cassia Fistula) make delicious chutney. They can be pickled easily and look great on your salad. They add value to a payasam and work well as garnish in your lemon rice. They have a wide range of medicinal benefits and are a worthy addition to your pantry. If you can get dry flowers, you can use them in teas, vinegar and in curries
Very few people seem to be comfortable using Papaya flowers. They are slightly bitter in taste and work very well in stir fries. If you enjoy fish, you'll be amazed at how delicious a fish dish can become with the addition of papaya flowers. A wild rice and papaya salad could be a complete meal by itself in terms of nutrition.
Our country has more than 250+ edible flowers that are beautiful, fragrant and highly nutritious. Speak to your vegetable vendor to arrange for at least a few every week.
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