Stirring it up with the Passion Flower

I first saw this extraordinary flower when someone gave me one long ago. And then it was only years later that a plant left me by a friend suddenly produced these blossoms!

Unfortunately, that plant did not survive neglect when we were away on a trip and I have been unable to find seeds on creepers that I see in the neighbourhood. I loathe buying plants and seeds because I hold it in the same regard that I do the concept of buying pets or husbands or wives.

People have imbued the flower with symbolical meaning.  

Roman Catholic priests of the late 1500's named it for the Passion (suffering and death) of Jesus Christ. They believed that several parts of the plant, including the petals, rays, and sepals, symbolized features of the Passion. The flower's five petals and five petallike sepals represented the 10 apostles who remained faithful to Jesus throughout the Passion. The circle of hairlike rays above the petals suggested the crown of thorns that Jesus wore on the day of His death.

RELIGIOUS MEANING OF THE PASSION FLOWER

In India, blue passionflowers are called Krishnakamala in Karnataka and Maharashtra, while in Uttar Pradesh and generally north it is colloquially called "Paanch Paandav" (referring to the five Pandavas in the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata). The five anthers are interpreted as the five Pandavas, the divine Krishna is at the centre, and the radial filaments are opposing hundred. The colour blue is moreover associated with Krishna as the colour of his aura.

Wikipedia

Apparently, the fruit of this plant - this variety, at least - is edible. Mine did not survive till fruiting, alas. And I look forwards to getting a Passion Flower plant sometime in the near future so that I can try out various things with the fruit. 

Passionfruit and cross section - fir0002 - via Commons

Passion Fruit - Uses

Roughly adapted from Wikipedia

In Australia and New Zealand, passion fruit is available, both fresh and tinned. It is used in fruit salads, as fruit sauce, as topping and flavouring for desserts. They even have a passion fruit-flavored soft drink right from the 1920s. This is used in cocktails.

In Brazil, you can have passion fruit mousse. The pulp is used to decorate cakes. They also have it as ice pops, soft drinks, and with caipirinha, using passion fruit instead of lime.

Caipirinha - JuAnnun

Caipirinha Brazilian Drink Happy Hour

Widely available in Colombia, "maracuyá" is of three kinds. 

In the Dominican Republic, they make fruit preserves and use the fruit-flavored syrup on shaved ice. They eat it raw, too, with sugar.

The East Africans also eat the fruit.

In Hawaii, shaved ice is topped with Lilikoi-flavoured syrup and flavours desserts such as malasadas, cheesecakes, cookies, ice cream and mochi. They also have passion fruit jam or jelly, butter and use Lilikoi syrup as glaze and marinade for meat and vegetables.

Indians just sprinkle it with sugar and eat it raw.

Passion fruit drink at Shoebox Canteen, Singapore - Smuconlaw -  via Commons 

Juice emerges the most popular use in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, East Africa, Hawaii, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Sri Lanka.

In Indonesia, we find two types: one with white flesh, and the other with yellow flesh. The white one is eaten as fruit while the yellow one is for juice, and syrup.

In Mexico, passion fruit is also eaten raw with chilli powder and lime.

In Paraguay, it is used in mousse, cheesecake, and ice cream. Or to flavour yogurts and cocktails.

Passion fruit is incorporated into "marciano" or "chupetes", homemade ice pops in Peru, where it is also used in mousse and cheesecake and eaten raw. The juice is used in cocktails, such as the Maracuyá sour. 

In the Philippines, passion fruit is usually sold with a straw to suck seeds out while, in Portugal, it forms base for many liqueurs and mousses.

Walter Schärer - Banana passion fruit mousse

Called "parcha" in Puerto Rico, it is also used there in ice cream or pastries.

In South Africa, it is eaten raw and as topping for cakes and tarts. Granadilla (yellow variety = Guavadilla) is used to flavour yogurt, Schweppes', "Sparkling Granadilla" and other cordial drinks. Granadilla juice is served in restaurants. The yellow one is used for juice processing, while the purple variety is sold as fruit.  

Sri Lankans use passion fruit to make a cordial.

Wikipedia

Most of the recipe videos I've curated appear easy and fun to make - something that would be delightful to try out with children/for children. And most adults are just big children, at heart. The way to the heart, we all know, is via the stomach. So let's say you can use these to stir up some passion too!

Passion Fruit Recipes

There are many flowers which can be used in cooking and for beauty, besides the joy they bring us and their use in decorations and in worship.

We shall take a break from these blossoms for a while and explore some eateries in and around Varca, Goa, in upcoming posts.

 India, blue passionflowers are called Krishnakamala in Karnataka and Maharashtra, while in Uttar Pradesh and generally north it is colloquially called "Paanch Paandav" (referring to the five Pandavas in the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata). The five anthers are interpreted as the five Pandavas, the divine Krishna is at the centre, and the radial filaments are opposing hundred. The colour blue is moreover associated with Krishna as the colour of his aura.

Beating the Blues with a Blue Beverage

I grew up in Puducherry, in an Ashram. And the Guru, there, used to name flowers. The Butterfly Pea she called 'Radha's consciousness'. I've always loved the flower but, until recently, it did not flower in my garden. And, though it flowered well last year, it has not put forth blossoms as yet this year. When the plant decides to grace me with blossoms I plan to make a blue drink with it.

Clitoria ternatea, Adityamadhav83, Wikimedia Commons

When I was in Malaysia for a while, some years back, I found that some Malaysian sweets had a blue or green colour. The green, I imagine, comes from the pandan leaf. And I recently learned that the blue might be from the Butterfly Pea flower. I grew some in my garden using seeds I collected on walks. 

Food

...Known as bunga telang, in Malay cook­ing, an aque­ous ex­tract is used to colour gluti­nous rice ... by adding a few buds of this flower in a pot while cook­ing white rice will add bluish tint on the rice which is served with other side dishes and such meal is called nasi ker­abu. In Thai­land, a syrupy blue drink is made called nam dok anchan ..., it is some­times con­sumed with a drop of sweet lime juice to in­crease acid­ity and turn the juice into pink-pur­ple.

Wikipedia

Blue butterfly pea tea turns purple when acid is added. Libera_knabino, Wikimedia Commons

In Burmese and Thai cuisines, the flow­ers are also dipped in bat­ter and fried. But­ter­fly pea flower tea is made from the ter­natea flow­ers and dried lemon­grass and changes color de­pend­ing on what is added to the liq­uid, with lemon juice turn­ing it purple.

The flow­ers have more re­cently been used as a botan­i­cal in a colour-chang­ing gin. Blue in the bot­tle, this turns pink when mixed with a car­bon­ated mixer such as tonic water.Traditional medicine

Wikipedia

Not only is this flower used in many foods but it appears to have many benefits as well.

... it is very good for children suffering from developmental problems of the brain and problems with impaired cognitive function.

... it helps in the detoxiãcation and all round cleansing of the brain and its associated structures. It is also good for improving voice quality and problems of throat

Common Properties Of The Herb 

Now, I have a hoarse voice over the past so many years and I will see if this flower has the power to help my throat. 

Herbal tea served in Southeast Asia, Libera_knabino, Wikimedia Commons

Though Butterfly Pea teas are now available, they look dreadfully expensive. The flower is fairly easy to grow and very pretty too. With all its benefits, it would be wonderful to have it handy for use. And blue tea, whether or not the claims are right, will surely cheer up most cases of the blues!

Blue Butterfly Pea Flower and Basil Seeds Drink

COLOR CHANGING BUTTERFLY PEA FLOWER TEA

Encyclopedia of Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants offers very detailed information, not only about the plant, but also about its various therapeutic uses. I shall certainly refer to it time and again as this is a plant that grows easily almost everywhere in India.

Clitoria ternatea - white, uploaded by Elitre, author - Ton Rulkens from Mozambique 

The white reminds me of rice and it's time to tell you about blue rice!

Butterfly Pea Flower Nasi Lemak

Nasi Kerabu

While the flower does not impart much taste, the colour is delightful and, of course, it lends itself to sweets better for some reason. Related to colour?

Blue Magic: Butterfly Pea flower Kheer 

Blue Pea Mini Sago Gula Melaka Dessert

And this one takes the cake: 

BUTTERFLY PEA FLOWER CREPE CAKE

I'm also tempted by the concept of flower popsicles, since summer is now at its hottest: 

Blue Ombre Edible Flower Popsicles

As for the beauty enhancing prospects of the plant, I could not find any good DIY articles but I suppose one can use the flowers as paste or, dried, as powder. I do have a video for a face mask and one for hair care:

How to Thicken Your Hair with Organic Butterfly Pea Flower

Flowers are a frequent theme for paintings and drawings. And quite a few blossoms provide dyes. Apparently, you can paint with butterfly pea teas! 

Painting with Butterfly Pea Flower Tea

As I mentioned in the beginning, the flower was called Radha's Consciousness. So I leave you with this:

litoria tea in a potClitoria tea in a pot

Hibiscus - Eat it or Wear it?

As a child I used to suck at the bottom part of a particular variety of the Hibiscus flower for it had a sweet honey-like liquid there. As far as I remember it was not the sort that opens fully. And, maybe, it was pink. It is also at that tender age that I tasted the sour clover leaf. 

As one grows up, one loses the delights of childhood explorations. And, today, it is rare to find children who have much joy in nature, even among those families who routinely indulge in nature treks.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Cooking with flowers 

Recently I discovered that the Butterfly Pea or Aparajita is used in the Malay cuisine. And, then, I had the brief honour of owning a passion flower plant that gave me a few blossoms before it withered away while I was out of town - this bloom is also a culinary ingredient.

While other flowers await their turn on the blog, let us visit the virtues of the red hibiscus that graces the picture above. I live in a rented flat and the three to four hibiscus trees in the garden were not planted by me. While I do like the one in the picture, I would have prefered that each plant produce a different coloured hibiscus. Those in my garden seem to include the China Rose, and the Pendulous Sleeping Hibiscus.

The Hibiscus is the na­tional flower of Malaysia, and they call it the Bunga Raya - bunga for flower and raya for cel­e­bra­tory or grand. The red stands for courage, life, and rapid growth. The five petals are the five Rukun Ne­gara and the flower adorns Malaysian currency.

The word bunga in Malay means "flower", while raya in Malay means "celebratory" or "grand". The Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is literally known as the "celebratory flower" in Malay. The red of the petals symbolizes the courage, life, and rapid growth of the Malaysian, and the five petals represent the five Rukun Negara of Malaysia. The flower can be found imprinted on the notes and coins of the Malaysian ringgit.

The Hibiscus has 'power' in India, too.

On a hot summer’s day in Pondicherry, a floral drink goes down a treat. It’s not unusual to see people sipping tall glass of chilled hibiscus syrup diluted with water or soda. Most Auroville cafes serve the ‘power syrup’, made with the Avatar hibiscus juice produced by New School Crafts. Or just pick up a bottle of Auroville-based jam and jelly maker Naturellement’s hand-made hibiscus syrup (sold in supermarkets and boutiques) and sip it in the comfort of your home. Rs 399. Details: auroville.com

Following the Hibiscus

As a child, in Puducherry, I have tasted the beverage. It was quite wonderful as I remember it!

Before I proceed with some recipes that use this flower and look at its benefits, and some other uses, I thought that it is better that you take a look at some cautions:

11 Side Effect of Hibiscus Tea 

While working on the post, I ended up making some Hibiscus 'tea'. I just added some washed flowers to half a litre of boiling water. I strained this after a while and bottled it and now add it to water and some sugar, etc. as required. I plan to continue making this flower juice as it was quite soothing. I use a bit of it with some other squashes that are around the house, as the taste is very light on its own.

How to make hibiscus tea + its benefits

Mbopar - Public Domain

Here's a selection of tasty sounding things to make with Hibiscus that I plan to try out:

Hibiscus Syrup

Paletas de Flor de Jamaica

The Gambia Hibiscus Flower Jam

I'm not so sure how this will be:

Hibiscus (Chembaruthi) Neer Dosa

There are a lot of recipes that use Hibiscus but I have only chosen those that use the red one that I have in my garden. The flower seems to have many benefits but one should be cautious about indiscriminate use and do not use if pregnant.  

9 Health Benefits Of Hibiscus

Ever since I moved into this flat I have, off and on, tried hibiscus as hair wash. I enjoyed the feeling and it felt good on the hair. However, it's best used if the hair has not been oiled as it does not remove excess oil. I've also used the pulp as body wash and that felt wonderful too. It makes a mess, no doubt. 

Basically, I washed and boiled some 15 leaves and flowers of the red hibiscus for some 10 minutes. I then blended the strained stuff and used that and the water on my hair. 

DIY Hibiscus Hair Care

As bonus, here's How to draw a Hibiscus flower step by step

A classic example of human engineering, Hibiscus is rich in variety and use - from use with nanoparticles for this and that to very earthy employments that are relished as every day fare or as delicacy.

Hopefully, I shall be able to explore some other flower powers in coming posts!

Memorable Malaysian Meals

If you ask me to define food in Malaysia as I remember it, the first dish that comes to mind is the full white fish posing elegantly in a thin dark sauce, with some vegetables around it - Assam Pedas

Assam means sour and pedas is spicy. But the dish is neither in any remarkable way. Instead the sauce is delicate and aromatic. The fish is fresh and the vegetables - usually okra or aubergine - retain crunch.

Here is a video of an easy method - I've no idea if it will produce what I had, though!

Steamed Fish

It was frequently served when we went out with local friends. However, on the Net, there is no photo of Assam Pedas as I recall it.  All the photos have the fish in pieces, for one thing. For another, the sauce always appears chili-red rather than the dark brown that I remember. 

In any case, there seems to be no definite idea about the dish. Which, in no way, robs it of its excellence. 

Another outstanding preparation was the Buddha's Basket. It's such a pity I didn't have a good phone camera then - there is no photo that I can find of this exquisite creation. It is intricate and in tiers and heaven knows how it holds together. Each layer is filled with vegetables and nuts.

The closest I can find to share with you is this video:

Yam Basket/Fatt Putt

I also enjoyed the famous Bak kut teh: 

"Bak kut teh zz" by I, Chensiyuan. via Commons 

The recipe may be complicated but it's worth the try!

It looks as if I've recalled more Malaysian Chinese dishes but that is simply because we lived in a Chinese neighbourhood and had a very good Malaysian Chinese friend who introduced us to various delicious dishes.

As for the Malaysian Indian cuisine, I will not tackle that here as it's more or less a variation on Tamil cuisine in India. 

Two of the Malay dishes that were and still are popular:

Satay

Emran Kassim

I've really enjoyed Satay best with Malay friends - when broaching another region's cuisine it is best to be with a local friend. 

Asam Laksa

 Michael J. Lowe, CC 

I didn't quite develop a yen for this dish, alas. But it's a great one - soupy, spicy and nourishing.

And now for the sweets:

Ais Kacang 

Andrew Bogott, Wikimedia Commons

Ais Kacang is an experience! 

Kuih

Yun Huang Yong from Harbord, Australia, Wikimedia Commons

These delicate creations are popular and varied.

I conclude with the classic Ramly Burger:

We would pick up a couple on lazy nights and enjoy a messy feast - this burger is royal in proportions and utterly adorable.

There are so many dishes of which Malaysia can boast but I leave it up to you to visit the country and to try as many as you can find: glass noodles, chicken rice, an amazing liquorice pudding and more...

Chicken Rice, Mw12310, Wikimedia Commons

Do visit the crab island and have a blast gorging on sea food! Penang is supposed to rock for food - so that is a must-visit too.

Do look out for ready mixes to carry home as gifts and a variety of Beryls Chocolates.

Cheon Fong Liew  - Beryl's Almond coated with dark chocolate

While the food is somewhat similar in Singapore and Indonesia, Malaysia is somehow unique in its own way. 

What did the Tomato say to the Ketchup?

"You're too saucy!" is the answer to that! Jokes apart, I hope you enjoy this tomato salsa of a post.

My mother always pottered around in 'the garden' - some straggly plants in large old concrete pots. Pots and plants and trees that mostly already formed part of the house in which we lived. I suspect that it was then that she sometimes grew tomatoes. 

So it was natural that as soon as I had a little space, I began to grow things. And I am convinced there were tomatoes! In any case, I seem to have a habit and belief about tomatoes - that if you merely throw a rotten one on some soil you will soon have tomatoes growing. 

Now, before you get all excited, let me tell you one thing: my gardening has a long and complicated philosophy behind it and it will just bore you to death, upset you no end and we will simply end up not seeing eye to eye.

Masanobu Fukuoka throwing the first seedball at the workshop at Navdanya in October, 2002 - naturalfarming.org , via Wikimedia Commons 

My gardening is part of my effort at meditative living. In all I do there should be a gentle passion and involvement but it should never cross some boundaries. In other words, I am not gardening to produce tomatoes or potatoes or to feed the world's poor or myself or any other such aim and ambition.  I empty myself as far as possible when in the garden and have joy. If tomatoes result well and good. If not also I must be equally delighted. The garden is for the sky, for the birds, for the time between me and the universe. In these moments I get reinvigorated. 

Fukuoka starts tomatoes and eggplants in a seedbed and transplants them. He soaks and pelletizes the difficult-to-germinate seeds of carrots and spinach. Once they are established, however, he does not pamper them: tomatoes run free along the ground, and cucumbers, melons, and squash stretch out over sticks of bamboo and discarded tree branches. Fukuoka found that vegetables grow heartily in a semiwild state.

Masanobu Fukuoka 

In any case, growing tomatoes is mostly that easy. But they are messy, straggly plants. For what it's worth it can be a therapeutic and rewarding hobby as you will find many websites and videos to tell you how to go about it. And anything that you do that takes you away from ambition, from the rat race, the mad and pointless race for excellence will be beneficial to you and your surroundings. 

Now, where's that tomato?

I like tomatoes. I love them best uncooked, firm yet ripe, sliced, between buttered slices of bread. I've even had them with green chutney instead of butter and they still rocked.

I even recall a joy in sprinkling sugar on such tomatoes. It's a treat I doubt I'll try now but I can assure you it is worth a try. 

Over the years I found that there are two camps - those who love tomatoes and those who don't. My mother always claimed that the doctors had told her to avoid red coloured things such as beets and tomatoes. I've heard them accused of causing acidity, too. Perhaps this is because they came into the Indian cuisine late? And are therefore considered an evil introduced from elsewhere. 

Wikipedia tells me the tomato came from South America. The Spanish then took it to Europe whence it percolated to the colonies in the sixteenth century.  Quora says that it was then that the Portuguese brought it here.

Interestingly, the anti-tomato brigade was in Europe too: 

Why the Tomato Was Feared in Europe for More Than 200 Years

In the late 1700s, a large percentage of Europeans feared the tomato.

A nickname for the fruit was the “poison apple” because it was thought that aristocrats got sick and died after eating them, but the truth of the matter was that wealthy Europeans used pewter plates, which were high in lead content. Because tomatoes are so high in acidity, when placed on this particular tableware, the fruit would leach lead from the plate, resulting in many deaths from lead poisoning. No one made this connection between plate and poison at the time; the tomato was picked as the culprit.

How the fruit got a bad rap from the beginning

In spite of that, India has the most amazing variety of tomato based dishes including those that have tomato as main ingredient.

Now, it all depends on your stand in this regard but if you have no objection to them except some reasonable ones such as that the peel is loathsome in cooked dishes, then let us proceed to explore some ways in which tomatoes feature in our lives. 
   
We begin with an appetiser or snack as I shall call it simply because the green tomato comes first:

  

Alas, tomatoes turn into bad guys very quickly! The only two other films that I found are:

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

And:

Return of the Killer Tomatoes

At least, in terms of symbolism, the tomato has a somewhat better standing: 

Dubbed the “love apple” in early European times, this fruit was deemed an aphrodisiac because of its numerous seeds. It was also the perfect Aztec side dish for a cannibalistic meat course.

Fruit of the Gods

Of course, tomatoes feature in books and not just recipe books:

Read for free on Kindle Unlimited

Free on Kindle Unlimited

You can preview the book by clicking on the Preview link in the Amazon covers

The tomato has also been used for beauty and health and there is enough information about it commonly available.

From tomato juice, with or without Vodka, to tomato pickles, Indians have been busy using this fruit/vegetable in all kinds of dishes. I'm selecting a few here that I like:

Raw Tomato Vegetable Fry

Eirik Solheim

Maharashtrian Tomato Saar

Sulabha prabhune, from Wikimedia Commons

Tomato Biryani

Paruchuri.ramya.sree, from Wikimedia Commons

Tomato Jam

Elin B

Eat it or Wear it:

Tomato is also known for its skin hydrating and nourishing properties, and is a great source of vitamins A, C and K. So besides including it in your regular diet, you should also use it to create refreshing face packs and cleansers.

How To Use Tomatoes To Keep Your Skin Fresh This Summer

The Doctor Prescribes:

tomatoes are very rich in antioxidants that are effective against many diseases, especially cancer.
They also contain an impressive amount of nutrients and vitamins, which include vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K, as well as, significant amounts of vitamin B6, folate, and thiamine.
In addition, tomatoes are an excellent source of potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper. They also have dietary fiber and protein.

The health benefits of this plant will surprise you

Caution:

"Calcium oxalate monohydrate is responsible for the formation of kidney stones. However, stone forming does not take place in every individual. But patients who have been diagnosed with the oxalate stone must be mindful of how much tomatoes they consume. A regulated intake will not be harmful, but excess can be," says Dr. Sood.

"In women, excess consumption of tomatoes can reduce cancer risk by 40%. In men, excess consumption can lower the same risk by 20%. So conclusively we can say that tomatoes at large are beneficial. But if the patient is an oxalate stone former, tomatoes can pose some risk," he concluded.

Here's How Tomatoes Can Affect Your Kidneys

However, the best part is growing them - here is a video to get you going but it's really not that complicated. I just throw rotten tomatoes in the garden and they grow. 

 To round off this saucy story, here's a joke:

Q. Why did the tomato blush? 

A. Because he saw the salad dressing.

Tomato Jokes and Riddles

Graela