Hibiscus tea and Ridged Gourd flower fritters for a special tea party
Summer tea party
Hibiscus flower or Javakusum or Japa pushp is used in worship of Mother Divine in India. As food, it is a tonic for the nervous system. Hibiscus tea is easy to make. Boil a cup of water. Put in a hibiscus flower (fresh or dry). Cover the pan and switch off the heat. Let it cool down completely. Add lemon juice and jaggery, honey or raw sugar to taste. Strain and refrigerate before serving.
To make ridged gourd flower fritters, first pick up some flowers that have fallen from the plant in the morning or pluck them fresh from your garden, if you have not already bought them. Can substitute with pumpkin or squash flowers. In kitchens across India’s villages this dish can be found. For a cup full of ridged gourd flowers, take half a cup of garbanzo flour or Besan. Add salt, red chilly powder, coriander powder to taste. Make a thick paste with water. Dip in each individual flower and deep fry in cold pressed mustard oil or any other oil. Serve hot with any of the awesome chutneys that you make:
- Mint-coriander chutney
- Mango chutney
- Mango-galka chutney
- Amlaki or Gooseberry Chutney
- Coconut chutney, etc.
On a summer afternoon, serve with cool hibiscus tea.
