Chicha morada
Spiced Peruvian purple corn drink with pineapple, apple and lime; chill 2 hours
Chicha morada is Peru's favourite soft drink, served by the jug in every restaurant in Lima and drunk across the country with lunch. Andean purple corn is simmered with pineapple peel, apple, cinnamon and cloves, then sweetened and sharpened with lime to make a dark ruby drink that tastes of berries, spice and gentle tannin, a little like a spiced cranberry juice. It has no alcohol, unlike the fermented chicha de jora of the Andes. Dried purple corn (maíz morado) comes from Latin shops; purple corn powder works too. Chef's tip: add the sugar and lime only once the drink has cooled; lime added to the hot liquid turns it bitter.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
To serve
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Scrub the 1 pineapple, then cut off the peel and core; keep the flesh for eating or to dice for serving.
Step 2: Put 1 ⅛ lb dried purple corn, 12 ½ cups water, the pineapple peel and core, 2 apples, 2 cinnamon sticks and 6 cloves in a large pan. Bring to the boil over a high heat.
10 minStep 3: Simmer over a medium heat for 40 minutes, until the liquid is very dark purple and the corn kernels have split and paled. If using powder, 20 minutes is enough.
40 minStep 4: Strain through a fine sieve, pressing on the fruit, and let it cool to room temperature. You should have about 2 litres.
Step 5: Stir in 5 ½ oz sugar until dissolved, then the juice of 3 limes. Taste: it should be fruity, lightly sweet and refreshing, not syrupy. Add more water if it is too strong.
Step 6: Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve over 16 ice cubes with a spoonful of 3 ½ oz diced apple and pineapple in each glass. It keeps for 4 days in the fridge.
120 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chicha morada take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of apples?
- Pears, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon sticks?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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