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Pandan leaves not only lend color but also have medicinal properties. There are two types of Pandan leaves: small, tapering leaves for flower decorations, and large thick leaves for cooking. Some examples of desserts that use Pandan leaves for coloring and flavor include Khanom Chan (Layer Cake), Arlua, Sarim and Sang Kha-ya (pandan leave custard).
Thais derive a range of violet color from the Anchan flower (Dalbergia). The most well known violet dessert recipe is "Khanom Chor Muang", a Thai court's appetizer. To extract the violet color from the Anchan flower, add a few drops of limejuice, and squeeze the flower to obtain the violet water. Or, you can boil the Anchan flower to produce clear violet water. For a delightfully refreshing beverage, try dissolving the desired amount of sugar into the violet water.
Apart from the hot and spicy taste, chilies add red color to curry dishes. If you wish to make your recipe yellow, such as the Khao Mok Gai (steamed chicken curry rice), the golden yellow color can be obtained from saffron threads. Saffron threads have a slight bitter/sweet flavor. Saffron threads should be used sparingly due to cost and if used in large quantities may be harmful to pregnant women, children and elderly people.
To obtain the black color often seen in Thai desserts, burn the old inner shells of coconuts and then pound the burnt shell. Place the pounded burnt shell into some water. Filter the sediment and use only the black liquid for coloring. The black coloring obtained from this particular method is used in creating Piak Poon (Sweet Blackened Jelly). Its medicinal properties can also relieve indigestion and absorb toxins within your body.
Using unusual and surprising ingredients often creates the colors in Thai recipes. For example, apart from obtaining beautiful colors from natural products by squeezing or filtering, Thais use gold leaf to decorate desserts. Minute squares of gold leaf are delicately placed upon the face of Khanom Thong Ek, which is one of the intricate royal baked desserts.

When infusing color into desserts where possible add the coloring in a liquid   form as it is   then more easily dispersed (for example, Piak Poon (sweet   blackened jelly) or Woon Gathi   (Pandan Jelly and coconut cream)). If it is a custard dessert, the color must be added just   before the custard is set (for   example, Jar Mong-kut (Sweet Miniature Crown))