Recipes to capture the perfect sweet-tart balance of blueberries
Summary
The flavour, vibrant color and the nutritional benefits of this beloved fruit lend themselves to many recipes, especially for children
I am yet to meet a kid who doesn’t love blueberries. I’ve documented my son’s love for them even as a toddler in a 2013 blog post where he illustrated a recipe for lemon blueberry muffins at the age of 5. Even today, blueberries are his top pick. It helps that they’re no longer as wildly expensive as they used to be, and large packets of frozen blueberries are easy to find, making them perfect for smoothies, baked goods and pancakes.
In my book, Everyday Superfoods (2021), I did a nutritional face-off between amla (Indian gooseberries) and blueberries. Yes, it’s a bit like comparing apples and oranges because you can’t convince a kid that amla is tastier than berries. Amla has 50 times the antioxidants of blueberries. Yet, every superfood list on the web ranks blueberries as No.1—clearly, this fruit has global appeal and availability. This got me thinking about the reasons behind the popularity of blueberries.
Blue foods are rare in nature so we naturally gravitate toward them. Foods like blue corn and blue potatoes are not regularly available around the world. There’s also the Bangalore Blue variety of grapes, which is available from March to May in Bengaluru and has a deep purplish-blue hue. However, being a seeded variety, it is not commonly eaten as a table grape.
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Jamun, or java plum, is dark purple, almost black. The butterfly blue pea flower (shankhapushpa), while not exactly a food, is an edible flower that is gaining popularity for naturally colouring foods and drinks blue, and the herbal tea made from these petals is also in demand. But try convincing a child that the blue pea flower would make an interesting addition to muffins or pancakes. That leaves us with blueberries, which add a pop of colour to dishes, making them visually appealing.
The convenience factor is unbeatable. No peeling or pitting required. It’s not even necessary to break them off a bunch like grapes. Compared to other berries, they have a long shelf life when stored properly, making them a reliable fruit. Frozen blueberries are even more convenient for smoothies or quick compotes, costing much less than fresh blueberries and are available year-round.
Speaking of popularity, we can’t overlook the taste. Blueberries have the perfect sweet-tart balance. Their mild taste makes them less polarising compared to intensely flavoured tropical fruits like mango or papaya.
Blueberries are also versatile—shining in sweet recipes like pies, pancakes and muffins, yet holding their own in savoury salads.
As nutritional powerhouses, they make a great addition to breakfast recipes like smoothies and oatmeal. Widely marketed as a low-calorie, high nutrient superfood, their appeal only grows.
In India, small farming trials to grow blueberries are underway in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Karnataka, using climate-controlled polyhouses or hydroponics, though yields remain limited. The high demand is still met by imports from countries like the US, Canada and Chile.
Here are two festive blueberry recipes.
CHRISTMASSY WREATH SALAD
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
1 cup cooked quinoa (lightly salted)
2 cups mixed salad greens
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 small beetroot (cooked, peeled and diced)
1 red apple, diced
Quarter cup fresh blueberries
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
50 g feta cheese (or blue cheese)
Dressing
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp of blueberry compote (recipe below)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and black pepper
Method
Chop the salad greens into bite-sized pieces.
Toss the cooked quinoa and salad greens in olive oil and lemon juice.
Arrange the quinoa on a large platter in the shape of a wreath. You can do this by keeping a bowl or plate upturned in the centre and scattering quinoa around it.
Scatter the diced beet, apple, blueberries and feta cubes all over the wreath carefully to make it look pretty with alternating colours.
In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the dressing until thick and creamy. Spoon the dressing all around the wreath. Serve immediately.
Note: Blueberry compote can be substituted by honey or any other fruit preserve.
You can also toss all the salad ingredients (except feta) along with the dressing in a large bowl and top with feta cheese cubes to make a quick salad.
FROZEN BLUEBERRY COMPOTE
Makes around half a cup
Ingredients
1 cup frozen blueberries (no need to thaw)
1-2 tbsp sugar
Juice of half lemon
Zest of one lemon
Quarter tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
Method
In a small saucepan, add the frozen blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and around 2 tablespoons of water (if you want it thinner). Place on medium heat.
Stir occasionally as the blueberries begin to release their juices. Once it starts bubbling, reduce the heat to low.
Simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens slightly. For a chunkier compote, leave the blueberries whole. For a smoother compote, mash some of the blueberries with the back of a spoon while cooking.
Stir in the ground cinnamon (if using) during the last minute of cooking. Remove from heat and let it cool. The compote will thicken further as it cools. Transfer to a clean jar or container and refrigerate for up to one week.
Serving ideas: Drizzle over pancakes, waffles, French toast, or oatmeal; use as a topping for cheesecake or ice cream; swirl into yogurt or smoothie bowls; spread on toast or scones; stir into a cocktail or mocktail.
Double Tested is a fortnightly column on vegetarian cooking, highlighting a single ingredient prepared two ways. Nandita Iyer’s latest book is The Great Indian Thali—Seasonal Vegetarian Wholesomeness. She posts @saffrontrail.
