Fragrant, floral and beautiful: Add rose to your Ramzan treats

Floral elements add freshness to the palate and rose is undoubtedly the reigning queen. With Ramadan month on, rose can add a splash of colour to your food helping you cool down, especially during iftar. We spoke to experts to know the best ways to include this blossom into your special dishes.

Sip on floral notes

Try making a pink lemonade at home by adding rose syrup to your drink

While stirring up a cool drink for iftar, pick rose as a hero ingredient. Shatbhi Basu, mixologist says, “Subtlety is key when using rose. A rose mint lemonade or an icy slushie is perfect for summer.” She uses rose petals to garnish drinks and adds them to milkshakes, smoothies and sherbets too.

Add it to desserts

Rose-flavoured cupcakes

Sweets and roses are a match made in heaven. Swati Arora, chef and owner of a city bakery says, “Vanilla and cardamom help enhance the rose flavour in macarons, cupcakes and tea cakes,” said Swati. Madhushree Basu Roy, a food blogger also suggests adding rose syrup to falooda. Use dried rose petals to coat truffles, sandesh and pedas for a fun twist.

Rose shares many aroma compounds with apple and citrus, so an apple tart with lemon sorbet and rose work well – Chef Preetam Bhadra

Go down the savoury route

Rose jam

Despite sweet floral notes, rose is a great accompaniment in savoury dishes. According to chef Preetam Bhadra, a unique way to use rose is to pickle it with star anise, fennel and bay leaves. Also try adding it to your salad vinaigrettes.

Ways to add rose into foods

• Rose extract/essence
• Rose water
• Rose syrup
• Dried petals
• Gulkand

Unique ways to add rose to your food:

• Smoothies
• Chutneys
• Rasmalai
• Kalakand
• Shahi Tukda
• Jams