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They are pleasingly aesthetic, smell heavenly, and taste delicious when infused with Indian cuisine. Edible flowers have always been a major part of India’s culinary heritage since time immemorial.
No wonder they have various health benefits! Here we list some edible flowers that should make their way into your pantry asap!
Pumpkin Flowers
A popular edible flower with a sweet and mild pumpkin taste, pumpkin flowers are extensively used all over India. Pumpkin flower thoran, a popular south-Indian dish, is best served with rice and is made from fresh pumpkin flowers. Additionally, pumpkin flowers are also popular in Bengali cuisine, where they are used to make fritters and pakodas. You can eat them fresh or cooked.
Some popular dishes for instance include: kakharu phula pitha (pumpkin flower fry), village style pumpkin flower curry, kumro fuler curry
Rose
One of the most prominent flowers used in Indian cuisine, rose petals have so much to offer to the Indian palate. Commonly found in the form of gulkand, a thick sweet jam-like paste used in paan, rose petals are also used to make kewra water, a natural cooler. Likewise, they are also used as a garnish/fragrance in Indian mithai. The petals can also be used to create tea blends.
Some popular rose petals infused dishes include: rose lassi, gulab sharbat, rose gulkand laddoo.
Papaya Flowers
Eaten as curries and in side dishes, papaya flowers are slightly bitter in taste yet highly nutritious. Have them straight up fried or make a quick stir-fry. Either way, they taste delicious.
Some popular papaya flower dishes include: Odia style omita phulor bhaji and Bengali style dry papaya flower curry.
Drumstick Flowers/Moringa Flowers
The moringa/drumstick flower is a small, white bloom with a circular shape. Asian dishes, such as curries or soups extensively use stir-fried moringa flowers. Furthermore, they taste fantastic when used as a garnish, deep-fried as a crispy snack. Also, you can add them as a seasoning for the extra flavour.
Some popular dishes include; munagu puvvu vadalu (drumstick flower vada), murungai poo muttai poriyal (moringa flower egg stir fry).
Banana Blossoms
Banana blossom is a purple flower that is loaded with fiber, protein, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Banana blossoms can be eaten raw or cooked. South Indian and Bengali cuisine commonly features banana blossoms.” Mochar chop”, a cutlet made from banana blossoms, is quite famous in Kolkata.
Other popular southern Indian dishes include vazhaipoo podimas, banana flower poriyal, vazhaipoo vadai, etc.
Onion Flowers
Onion flowers can be eaten raw, roasted, stir-fried, or cooked in a variety of ways. Healthy but delicious, these edible flowers have a pungent onion-like taste and should be consumed before they dry out.
Some popular dishes include: Onion Flower curry with grated coconut, Rui Fish onion flower curry
So when are making these edible flower dishes next?