Clitoria (Pea Flower/Bunga telang

Much has been written about this special flower. Peter Wee of Katong Antique House used to direct me to the Holy Family Church a few doors down to pluck the flowers off the vine creeping along the fence. The flowers need to be sun-dried before they can be soaked in hot water to extract the signature colouring that contributes to the vibrant and distinct indigo blue found in kueh chang and putri sarlat. No commercial blue colouring can quite match this shade but can be best settled as a convenient alternative. The dried flowers will keep in a refrigerator for a long time, so grab them if you can find them, even if it means standing by a stranger’s house with his dog barking at you as you furtively pluck the flowers.