Common name: Blue Pea Flower, Clitoria Flower, Bunga Telang
Scientific name: Clitoria ternatea

The Blue Pea Flower is a common ingredient used as a natural food dye for making Nyonya desserts such as ‘pulut inti’ and ‘pulut tai tai’, and also traditional Malay dishes like ‘nasi kerabu’. In certain parts of South East Asia, this ‘blue flower’ is even eaten fried in batter or used to make a syrupy drink.

The plant, a vine or creeper, has vivid deep blue flowers with yellow markings on its petals. It is prized for these bright azure flowers, which are dried and used as natural food-colorant for confectionaries. The Blue Pea Flower offers a much healthier alternative to those who don’t wish to use artificial dyes.

The flowers are sun-dried and should be kept in a cool dry place. When they are needed, soak them in a little water, then crush the flowers (you can use a pestle and mortar, or place them in a cup and use a spoon to crush them) to obtain the blue dye.

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Related Recipe:

- All natural Pulut Tai Tai