Discover some unique flavours with these Indian recipes made with edible flowers—to add a splash of spring to your meals. Explore eight aromatic and vibrant dishes that will upgrade your culinary experience.
In Indian regional cuisine, edible blooms have been in use for centuries and are valued for their fragrance, flavours, and several health benefits. Edible flowers have been a staple in the long-standing gastronomic heritage of India. Below we have mentioned some delectable and beloved dishes, predominantly made with edible flowers.
This recipe from Tamil Nadu is prepared during summer or Tamil New Year. Veppam poo rasam is made with neem flowers and it adds a cooling essence to the quintessential rasam recipe. While tomatoes and garlic are two indispensable ingredients that add traditional flavours, neem flowers add a subtle bitter yet refreshing boost to the aromatic curry leaves and tangy tamarind.
Gulkand is a sweet-tasting preserve made from fragrant rose petals and is commonly used in Persian and Indian cuisine. Gulkand is known for its refreshing aroma and since it already contains sugar, this sweet preserve can serve as a sweetening agent in desserts. Kulfi made with gulkand as its main ingredient and spritzed with rose water is called Gulkand Kulfi.
Mogra sharbat is a cooling and refreshing beverage made with aromatic jasmine flowers, infused into diluted water and sugar syrup. This cooling drink recipe does not use preservatives or artificial colours—the mogra flowers spike the sweetness without overpowering the beverage's taste. Like roses, mogra blooms have cooling properties, and this sharbat is the perfect beverage to beat the heat on sweltering days.
In Maharashtrian cuisine, tempered salads (Koshimbir) are an integral part and this particular recipe is made by boiling fresh mahua flowers. The fragrant flowers are combined with chopped tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and diced peanuts – to prepare this delectable side dish.
Buransh or bloody red rhododendron blooms are commonly used in Himachal Pradesh, to make sherbets – a refreshing summer condiment with a floral-tart flavour. This raita is made with buransh petals mixed with yoghurt, different spices, salt and hemp seeds. This underrated culinary creation tastes best when savoured as a meal component.
This Bengali fritter is made with pumpkin flowers (kumro phool) and tastes wonderful. A gram-flour batter is used to coat the pumpkin flowers and is deep-fried. These flimsy fritters are a delicious side dish or snack option, and can also be enjoyed with rice and dal. Kumro phool bhaja is popularly consumed during the harvest season of pumpkin and its bright orange hue and sweet aroma make it an irresistible snack.
Suwanjhro or moringa flowers go through a long prepping process to deliver a Sindhi raita recipe. Typically this recipe requires a higher quantity of flower buds than the flower itself. The suwanjhre blooms are partially cooked to eliminate their bitterness before it is mixed with yoghurt, a handful of spices, grated ginger, and flavourful coriander.
The Parijata flowers—also known as night jasmine or Ganga shiuli—are popularly used in Assamese recipes to substitute saffron. These fragrant blooms are one of the main ingredients in this delicate rice preparation, cooked with coconut milk, and paired with different curries.
During the spring and summer seasons in India—a vast palette of edible flowers inspires regional culinary creations. These flowers are not just used for garnishing, each one adds unique flavour and fragrance.
