blue rice

Recipe by
Lee Thayer
Nakhon Si Thammarat

This is a seasoned rice, the flowers that make the color, are NOT required. The seasoning for this rice comes from lemon grass, either stalk form or powdered. This is a unique dish and is Malaysian in origin. The blue is from very specific flowers, the Butterfly-pea flower. This flower grows on a vine in Thailand, and is common throughout Thailand, Asia and even in Australia, a very edible flower that is made into tea and even deep fried. The seasoning for the rice comes from lemongrass, just a subtle taste but is perfect. Normally a dish made during festive periods or celebrations.

yield 4 servings as a side
prep time 5 Min
cook time 30 Min
method Rice Cooker

Ingredients For blue rice

  • 1 c
    dry jasmine rice, rinsed
  • 1 1/2 c
    water
  • 1/4 tsp
    salt
  • 6
    butterfly-pea flowers
  • 1/2 stalk
    lemon grass, or 1/2 teaspoon lemon grass powder

How To Make blue rice

  • 1
    If using the lemon grass stalk, beat that with a mallet first, this releases the oils, then tie it in an overhand knot, this makes getting it much much easier.
  • 2
    Put rinsed rice in your rice cooker along with the lemon grass (or lemon grass powder) and flowers.
  • 3
    Add the water, press cook on the rice cooker and let it cook until it switches to Warm. For this trial I used powdered lemongrass, that was spot on.
  • 4
    Once the rice cooker switches to Warm, just let it sit for about 10-20 minutes covered on the Warm setting. Mix with a spoon, you can just mix the flowers in, or you can remove them. We left the flowers in.
  • 5
    Spoon some rice into a small bowl, place a plate on the top and tip the plate and bowl over, perfect serving portion. I served this with fish.
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