Hibiscus: Take your pick from tea, salad or cocktail
The lovely hibiscus flowers around us, available in varied colours, are a sight for sore eyes. But did you know, they have ample benefits for our health, and can also be experimented with different dishes and drinks? For instance, hibiscus tea is a simple way to enjoy the flavour of this flower.
“A tea made from hibiscus acts as an antioxidant, helps in weight loss and is great for your skin and hair,” says chef Vicky Ratnani, adding how marmalade is another way to relish this flower. “Simmer 250g of hibiscus flowers, 150g of brown sugar, juice of half an orange and half a cup of water. Add a cinnamon stick and simmer for 20 minutes. Let it cool and the hibiscus jam is ready,” shares Ratnani.
Hibiscus is tart in flavour, “similar to cranberries”, says chef Radhika Khandelwal, and can be used to make a fun gin infusion. “Take 30g hibiscus flowers, 10g of orange or any citrus peels, 500ml gin or vodka. And cook at 45 degrees for two hours. Alternatively, mix them in a sterilised bottle, give it a good shake and let it infuse for a week before using,” she says.
And how about making a hibiscus murabba? Chef Ranveer Brar shares, “Take fresh hibiscus, and cook it with sugar. Add a little vinegar to it. Add saunf (fennel seeds) in the end. And, if you’re feeling a little more fancy, try hibiscus and black pepper marmalade. A lemonade could be done with that, too. The important thing is to remove the stem and keep the petals.”
But, for those who don’t like something sweet, chef Sanjeev Kapoor suggests some savoury dishes that one can make with this flower. He says, “The petals can be used in salads. You can make tea or sauce out of it. A sweet and sour sauce works very well with it.”