Nasi kerabu is traditionally served with fried (or grilled) meat, chicken or fish, and assortment of herbs and vegetables, and crackers. We just had it with eggs.
Pretty, huh? The thing is, butterfly pea flower brew does not really add any distinctive taste or aroma to the rice. Throwing in aromatic ingredients seemed like a good idea. So, I threw in lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and salt into the rice before switching on the rice cooker. That way, not only did I get the lovely color, the rice came out aromatic and flavorful as well.
But what the heck is butterfly pea flower? They are real flowers. They are sold dried. We discovered them in Chiang Mai and brought home a pack.
Like other flowers like osmanthus and roselle, dried butterfly pea flowers are steeped in hot water to make a brew for drinking or for use as natural food color for cooking. See the linked post below for more about this interesting flower.
Butterfly pea flowers
Steep to make a blue herbal brew that can be drank like tea or use to make Malaysian nasi kerabu. The scientific name Clitoria ternatea.
Malaysian butterfly pea flower rice (nasi kerabu)
Ingredients
- 3 cups jasmine rice
- 2 pinches salt
- 1 stalk lemongrass lightly pounded
- 1 pair kaffir lime leaves
- 6 dried butterfly pea flowers
Instructions
- Rinse the jasmine rice several times until the water is no longer cloudy.
- Drain the rinsed rice and place in the rice cooker and pour in 4 ½ cups of water. Leave to soak for 30 minutes.
- Stir the salt into the rice.
- Add the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves to the rice, and switch on the rice cooker.
- Place the butterfly pea flowers in a cup and pour in half a cup of hot water. Leave to steep.
- When the rice is done, uncover the cooker and rake through the grains with a fork to fluff up the rice.
- Strain the butterfly pea flower brew and drizzle over the cooked rice. Stir lightly.
- Replace the rice cooker lid and leave the rice to continue cooking in the residual heat (no, don't turn on the rice cooker again) for another five minutes.
