this is not just any flowers๐
Hellow Foodies and Steemit Fellows๐
I read about the benefit of this flower through some articles and old children book stories, I have been eating it without knowing what it was when I bought Vegetable Salad with peanut's sauce from the street vendors. It has a similiar taste like papaya's flower but bitterless๐.
What are you talking about Cici?
Im talkinga about sesbania glandiflora aka Turi aka vegetable hummingbird aka Agathi. This plant is native to South East Asia but now widely distributed and grows in many tropical countries, as shade tree or ornamental plant or cattle's consumption.
I bought a pack of this flower from the vegetable seller, but to get enough pictures๐ I asked my hubby to take me to the nearest tree in our neighborhood
The leaf has good saponine which also sensitive to frost, when I took its picture around 5pm, the twigs were ready to fold. This plant has several varieties too, the red and pink flower, but the most popular one to use on cooking is the white flower.
here is the way to prepare the flowers before we cook it
I tried to eat the fresh petal๐ and it tasted sweet but mild bitter when you swallow it. Some people will just steamed the whole flowers because they like the mild bitterness of the flower mixed up with other veggies in the Salad. But..
because this is my first time cooking this flower๐ I'd better follow a suggestion from my neighbour๐
Choose the perfect flowers, which hasn't bloomed, not too small. Pull out the flower's pistil and only use the petals, that pistil will add more bitter taste no matter how you try to reduce it๐. I like the bitterness of this flower, so after pulling out the pistil and clean it, I soaked the flower in hot water for 10 minutes. you need to know that eventhough I like it crunchy by soaking it in the cold water, but I have a toothless man to feed up๐
I used 3 shallots,1 garlic, 1 green chilli and half tomato, with a table spoon of cooking oil, I toss it for 2 minutes and then throw the soaking flowers in, mix it and let it cook for another 5 minutes
I didn't add any sugar or salt, because I have another plan to anticipate the exotic bitter taste of the sauteed flowers๐.
yeeaap, the peanut's sauce again๐
Peanut's sauce is always the saviour of bitterness of any bitter veggies I cooked๐ it won't be needed if I also add some mung bean sprouts๐ or corn. Maybe some other times!
I know that this veggie is not familiar to the 4 seasons countries and it's not easy to get the flowers in the market too.
But if you have a chance to get seeds from the pod (which also can be use and edible). The whole part of this plant are useful and have health benefit. Check for more information HโEโRโE. I read some articles about the benefits of consuming the bark, the flower and the leaves. A community in Eastern Indonesia, use the minced leaves to cover the broken bones, the new research found that the roots which also known as natural fertilizer has the anti-tuberkolosis enzym in it. The flower itself well known for its richness of Vitamin A, so it will help you to cure the night blindness desease.
this post is created for the #fruitsandveggiesmonday contest by @lenasveganliving with @plantstoplanks and @vegansofsteemit. You can share your fruits and veggies or vegan recipes every monday. Read More Information How.
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Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrate it, Have a special one and Thanks for stopping by๐