A silky, spiced purple corn pudding thickened with fruit and sweet potato starch, a Lima classic.
Mazamorra morada is one of Peru's most beloved traditional desserts, built from maiz morado, purple corn, simmered for hours with dried fruit and warm spices until it releases its deep violet color into the water. Cinnamon sticks, cloves and a little pineapple rind steep in the corn cooking liquid, giving the pudding a fragrant, almost mulled-wine aroma before it's ever thickened. The pudding is set using chuño or cornstarch mixed with a bit of the cooking liquid, stirred in gradually over heat until the mixture turns glossy and coats a spoon, a texture closer to a loose fruit pudding than a firm jelly. Dried fruits like prunes, dried apricots and apple add both sweetness and texture, softening as they simmer alongside the corn. Traditionally served alongside arroz con leche (rice pudding) in a dessert called combinado, mazamorra morada on its own is a defining taste of Lima street food and home kitchens, deeply tied to October's Señor de los Milagros processions when it's especially popular.
Serves 6
Combine dried purple corn, water, cinnamon sticks, cloves and pineapple rind in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered 45 minutes until the liquid turns a deep violet-purple.
Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into a clean pot, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid and color as possible. Discard the corn, cinnamon, cloves and pineapple rind.
Return the strained liquid to the pot. Add prunes, dried apricots, apple and sugar. Simmer 15 minutes until the fruit softens.
Whisk cornstarch into cold water until smooth, then stir it gradually into the simmering liquid. Cook, stirring constantly, 5-7 minutes until the mixture thickens into a glossy pudding that coats the back of a spoon.
Stir constantly once the cornstarch slurry goes in — it can form lumps quickly if left unstirred, even for a few seconds.
Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Pour into individual bowls or a large dish and refrigerate at least 2 hours until set and chilled.
Serve cold, traditionally alongside a scoop of arroz con leche for the classic combinado presentation.
Simmer the purple corn a full 45 minutes; rushing this step means less color and flavor extracted into the liquid.
Whisk the cornstarch slurry into cold water first before adding it to the hot liquid, or it will clump instead of dissolving smoothly.
Add the lime juice at the very end, off the heat — it brightens the flavor and helps balance the sweetness without cooking off its acidity.
Use dried purple corn concentrate (chicha morada base), available at Latin markets, to skip the long simmering step if you're short on time.
Add a small piece of fresh ginger to the simmering liquid for a subtle warm spice note some home versions include.
Swap prunes for dried figs for a slightly different, less tannic sweetness.
Refrigerate covered up to 5 days; the pudding firms up further as it chills. It's not suitable for freezing, as the texture becomes grainy once thawed.
Mazamorra morada has deep roots in Peruvian culinary history dating back to pre-Columbian use of purple corn, and it became especially associated with Lima's October Señor de los Milagros processions, where it's traditionally sold and eaten alongside turrón de Doña Pepa.
Yes, use about double the amount of fresh corn kernels and cobs, since fresh corn has less concentrated color and flavor than the dried, deeply purple variety.
Look for bottled chicha morada concentrate at a Latin grocery store, which is essentially the strained purple corn liquid already prepared and just needs the fruit and thickening steps.
The cornstarch slurry was likely added too quickly or without constant stirring — always mix it into cold water first and stir continuously as it's added to the hot liquid.
Per serving (220g / 7.8 oz) · 6 servings total
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