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Mazamorra morada
Purple corn pudding
Purple corn pudding with dried fruit, pineapple and cinnamon
Mazamorra morada is a deep purple pudding from Lima, made by boiling Andean purple corn with pineapple peel and spices and then thickening the dark juice with sweet potato starch and fruit. It is sold in little cups at markets and street carts, and in Lima it is eaten all year but above all in October, often spooned into the same bowl as rice pudding, a combination called el clásico. It is fruity, gently spiced and wobbly, like a thick jam pudding. Dried purple corn (maíz morado) is sold in Latin shops and online; purple corn powder works too. Chef's tip: dissolve the starch in cold water and stir it in off the boil; tipping it into a bubbling pan makes lumps that never smooth out.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb dried purple corncobs broken in half; or 100 g purple corn powder
- 12 ½ cups water
- 1 pineapplesmall; peel and core for the broth, 200 g flesh diced
- 6 cloves
- 2 applesor quince, peeled and diced
- 2 ⅞ oz dried apricotschopped
- 2 ⅞ oz prunespitted and halved
- 7 oz sugar
- 2 ⅞ oz sweet potato starchor corn flour (cornstarch)
- 1 limejuiced
- ½ tsp ground cinnamonto dust
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What you'll need
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Scrub the 1 pineapple well, then cut off the peel and core and dice 200 g of the flesh. The peel goes into the pot for flavour, so it must be clean.
Step 2: Put 1 ⅛ lb dried purple corn, 12 ½ cups water, the pineapple peel and core, 2 cinnamon sticks and 6 cloves in a large pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer over a medium heat for 45 minutes, until the liquid is deep purple-black and has reduced by about a third. If using powder, simmer it with the spices for 20 minutes instead.
45 minStep 3: Strain the liquid through a sieve, pressing on the corn. You need about 1.8 litres; top up with water or boil it down if needed. Discard the solids.
Step 4: Return the liquid to the pan, add 2 apples, 2 ⅞ oz dried apricots, 2 ⅞ oz prunes, the diced pineapple and 7 oz sugar and simmer for 15 minutes until the fruit is soft.
15 minStep 5: Mix 2 ⅞ oz sweet potato starch with 200 ml cold water until smooth. Take the pan off the boil, pour in the slurry in a thin stream, stirring all the time, then put it back over a low heat.
Step 6: Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens, turns glossy and loses its cloudy look. It should coat a spoon thickly; it sets more as it cools.
5 minStep 7: Stir in the juice of 1 lime, which brightens the colour from dull purple to vivid magenta, and taste for sweetness.
Step 8: Pour into bowls, dust with ½ tsp ground cinnamon and serve warm, or chill for 2 hours to set further. It keeps 3 days in the fridge.
120 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mazamorra morada take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 75 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 cinnamon sticks?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
- What can I use instead of cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
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