Mazamorra Morada

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Rinse the purple corn briefly. In a medium saucepan, combine the purple corn, water, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer for 15 minutes, partially covered, until the liquid is deeply purple and fragrant.

   120 g purple corn kernels or chopped dried purple corn1.2 litres water1 cinnamon stick3 whole cloves
2. 2

   While the infusion simmers, peel and dice the pineapple and quince into small, even cubes so they cook quickly and evenly.

   120 g pineapple, peeled and diced small120 g quince, peeled, cored and diced small
3. 3

   Strain the purple corn infusion into a clean saucepan, pressing lightly on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible without forcing bits through the sieve. Discard the corn and spices.

4. 4

   Add the diced pineapple, diced quince, and sugar to the strained liquid. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the quince is tender but not falling apart.

   120 g pineapple, peeled and diced small120 g quince, peeled, cored and diced small70 g sugar
5. 5

   In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the cold water until completely smooth; any lumps now will remain in the pudding later.

   25 g cornstarch60 ml cold water
6. 6

   Lower the heat. Stir the cornstarch slurry again, then pour it into the simmering fruit mixture in a thin stream while stirring constantly. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mazamorra thickens to a glossy, spoon-coating consistency. It will continue to thicken slightly as it stands.

   25 g cornstarch60 ml cold water
7. 7

   Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice to brighten the flavour. Let the mazamorra rest for 2 minutes before serving.

   10 ml lime juice
8. 8

   Divide into 2 bowls and finish with a light pinch of ground cinnamon. Serve warm, or let cool for a softer set.

   1 pinch ground cinnamon

Origin & History

Mazamorra Morada is a classic Peruvian dessert made from maíz morado, a deeply coloured purple corn native to the Andes. It is closely related to the drink chicha morada, sharing the same fragrant base of purple corn and warming spices, then thickened into a pudding-like sweet with fruit.