Thai Chili-Garlic Shrimps with Blue Rice

Everyone is asking me how to make the rice blue.   The answer is simple.  It's the natural color from a flower called Butterfly Pea Flower.  It is very commonly used in Southeast Asia as natural coloring.  The deep blue color is very eye catching.  You can use it in rice, drinks or even dessert.  This time I just use it to make rice to make dinner more interesting.

Ingredients:
2 cups     Rice
3 oz         Butterfly Pea Flowers
0.5 cup    Hot Water
1.5 cups   Chicken Stock
1 lb          Shrimps
1 cup       Zucchini (cut into slides)
1 cup       Carrot
1/2           Onion
2 Tbsp     Garlic (chopped)
1 Tbsp     Ginger (chopped)
1/2 cup    Thai Sweet Chili Paste
1/2 cup     Ketchup

Method:

1. Put the butterfly pea flowers into hot water and steep for at least 30 minutes.  You'll see the beautiful blue color getting deeper and deeper
2. Cook rice with the flower tea and chicken stock.
3. When rice is done, start the shrimp stir-fry
4. Heat up the pan with oil, then saute the onion, ginger, garlic, zucchini and carrot until nice and soft.  Then add the shrimp and stir fry quickly with the Thai sweet chili paste, ketchup and some chicken stock
5. Cook until shrimp until done and the sauce is thicken
6. Serve hot with the blue rice

Enjoy!