GREEN FOR LEAVES OR BLUE for the sky, colours have been associated with nature since ancient times. As science has given us every edible synthetic colour under the sun, making natural edible colours at home is often overlooked due to the convenience of buying artificial colouring with their everlasting shelf life to boot. In Sarawak, with such a vast variety of local fruits and vegetables, including many imported ones at any given local market, it gives us the possibility to create any colour we want. Here are eight, easily made within 2 hours. A quick mix of some of them, like magic, gives us the result of more beautiful colours. And it’s delicious to the taste… naturally.
PASTE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
30g Tapioca/Corn/ Sago/Potato starch 150ml Water
1. Combine water and starch well before cooking over heat until thick and gluey
2. Combine 30g gelatinised starch with 30 to 50g extracted liquid color – until desired consistency.
3. Sieve paste to remove lumps of starch.
4.Chill.
MAGENTA & RED Extractions cum CYAN
INGREDIENTS
(A) 50g Raw seeded Roselle 150ml Water * or
(B) 150g Raw Purple Sweet Potato diced 200ml Water **
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut into manageable sizes for blender.
2. Add water and blend. Lightly steep for best result.
3. Strain and squeeze extract.
4. Add baking soda.
5. Chill.
(A) *Add baking soda (sodium-bicarbonate) about 2ml to 6ml depending on color hue and intensity of purple-blue desired.
(B) ** Add white vinegar about 2ml to 4 ml depending on intensity of violet-red desired. Lemon juice or apple cider can be used but at different quantities
GREEN Extraction
INGREDIENTS
(A) 30g Mani Cai (StarGooseberry) 150ml Water or
(B) 150g Pandan leaves 50ml Water
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut into manageable sizes for blender.
2. Add water and blend. Lightly steep for best result.
3. Strain and squeeze extract.
4. Add baking soda.
5. Chill.
CYAN Extraction
INGREDIENTS
(A) 150g Purple Cabbage* 150ml Water or
(B) 5g Dried Blue Pea** 100ml Water
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut into manageable size for blender.
2. Add Water and blend. Steep for best result.
3. Strain and squeeze extract.
4. Chill.
(A) *Baking soda (sodium bicarb) about 0ml (yes, zero ml) to 2ml depending on color hue and intensity of purple-blue desired.
(B) **Add white vinegar about 2ml to 4ml depending on intensity of violet-red desired. Lemon juice or apple cider can be used but at differing quantities
YELLOW & ORANGE Extractions
INGREDIENTS
(A) 120g Carrot 150ml Water or
(B) 100g Pumpkin 150ml Water
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut into manageable size for blender.
2. Add water and blend. Steep for best result.
3. Strain and squeeze extract.
4. Chillor
(C) 100g Turmeric 150ml Water Turmeric
1. Steep with warm water.
2. Strain for extract through coffee strainer.
3. Chill