Earlier last month I tried my first experiments with purple corn, making the famous Peruvian beverage “chicha morada.” This stuff is deeply engrained in Peruvian culture, sold everywhere from street vendors to upscale restaurants to instant drink powders to commercially bottled drinks that rival the popular of Coca Cola. As usual, the best is of course – homemade. With all the fruit and spices, it tastes very similar to mulled wine or sangria!
If you’ve ever been interested in trying this out – here’s a simple recipe to help you get started.
Recipe
All estimated quantities are listed in (), but adjust to taste!
- (3) Purple corn (dried) – available on Amazon or Latin groceries
- (1) Pineapple rind (organic and washed well ideally)
- (3-5) Cinnamon sticks
- (1-2 tsp) Cloves
- (to taste) Minimally processed sugar – the more flavorful the better, I used jaggery but also consider palm sugar, panela, piloncillo, and the like
- (to taste) Lime juice
- (2-3) Apples
- Large pot of water
- Add the dried blue corn, clean pineapple rinds, cinnamon sticks, and cloves into a large pot and keep at a low simmer (just barely) for about an hour. If you have a slow cooker or Instant Pot, you might want to use that to slow cook for longer to minimize evaporation. Otherwise, keep an eye on the water volume and top off as needed, as it can boil off significantly.
- At the end, add the sugar (to taste) until fully dissolved. Optionally, sprinkle in a bit of salt to intensify the flavors.
- Strain the solids, add some cubed apple pieces, and chill in the fridge.
- A few hours before serving, add the lime juice (to taste)
- To booze it up, try adding some pisco and bitters (recommend Amargo Chuncho)