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Chicha Morada, purple corn drink, is a Peruvian classic, healthy, vegan, gluten free. A tall pilsner glass of chicha morada with ice.

Chicha Morada Recipe

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Tamara Andersen
Chicha morada is the quintessential drink of the Andes and an essential ingredients in cocktails, desserts, and more... Purple corn simmers with fruit and spices and the result is healthy and delicious!
4.67 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Beverages
Cuisine Peruvian
Servings 6 cups
Calories 100 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 15-16 ounces maiz morado - purple corn
  • pineapple peels - refuse from one
  • 1 apple - cut in chunks
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 5 allspice berries - see notes
  • 2 star anise - see notes
  • 8 cups water
  • juice of 3-4 limes
  • sweetener - see notes

Instructions

Instant Pot

  • Add corn, pineapple peels, cut up apple, spices, and water to the Instant Pot.
  • Lock lid.
  • Set to 25 minutes high pressure
  • Release pressure after 10 minutes.

Stove top

  • Add corn, pineapple peels, cut up apple, spices, and water to a large pot.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer.
  • Simmer 50-60 minutes.

Finish

  • Strain into a pitcher or other appropriate container (I remove large pieces first).
  • Cool.
  • Add fresh lime juice.
  • Sweeten to taste (see notes).
  • Pour over ice, and garnish with fruit if desired.

Notes

I love to use ginger simple syrup to sweeten chicha morada! I definitely recommend a liquid (rather than granular sweetener) like honey or agave nectar. Sweeten to your taste. We prefer ours less sweet.
If you're only using a portion of the recipe, you may wish to sweeten only the part you're using. We reserve the leftover portion to add to cocktails or desserts, and prefer to sweeten separately.
Calories will vary according to amount and type of sweetener, size of serving, how much pineapple is left on the peels, etc. The entire bag of maiz morado has only about 90 calories. We use about 1 tablespoon simple syrup per serving, and I used 4 servings in calculation.

Nutrition

Serving: 12ounces | Calories: 100kcal

NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and/or star rating! Email us with any questions: tamara@beyondmeresustenance.com