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Ecuadorian Colada Morada: a spiced berry and purple corn drink
4.8 from 378 votes

Ecuadorian Colada Morada: a spiced berry and purple corn drink

Ecuadorian Colada Morada is a traditional spiced berry beverage made from a blend of purple corn flour, a variety of berries, pineapple, and aromatic spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and star anise. The drink is cooked to a thick consistency and served warm or cold. It highlights both sweet and tart fruits combined with fragrant spices and the distinctive color and thickness from purple corn flour or starch.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 55 mins
Servings: 10
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: South American, Ecuadorian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup purple corn flour can use corn starch -aka maicena - as a replacement, or black corn flour
  • 14 oz naranjilla pulp thawed if frozen - use passion fruit or pineapple juice if you can’t find naranjilla juice, or lulo pulp
  • 2 cups blackberry frozen or fresh
  • 2 cups blueberries frozen or fresh
  • 2 cups strawberries sliced
  • 1 pineapple peels and core + 2 cups finely diced
  • 1 ishpingo Cinnamon flower - omit if you can’t find any
  • 5-6 cinnamon stick
  • 4-5 clove whole
  • 4-5 allspice berries
  • 1 star anise
  • 12-14 oz panela adjust to your taste, or brown sugar
  • lemon verbena fresh or dry, a few leaves
  • lemongrass fresh or dry, a few leaves
  • 2 pieces orange peel
  • arrayan ataco (purple amaranth), orange leaves, additional aromatic herb
  • 12 water 8 cups for the pineapple skins + spices part, and the remaining 4 cups for the berry mix
  • babaco additional fruits that can be added
  • peach
  • apple
  • pear
  • ciruela

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place the pineapple skins and core, cinnamon, spices and panela or brown sugar in a large pot with 8 cups of water. Boil for about 20-25 minutes.
  2. Add the lemon verbena, lemongrass, and orange peel.
  3. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and strain.
  4. In a separate pot, add 4 cups of water with the blueberries and blackberries, boil for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool down until safe to handle, blend and strain.
  5. Mix the cup of the purple corn flour with 1 cup of the spice pineapple liquid until well diluted.
  6. Add the strained berry mix, the naranjilla juice, the spiced pineapple liquid and the diluted purple flour mix to a large pot.
  7. Cook over medium heat, stir constantly to keep it from sticking, bring to a boil.
  8. Add the pineapple chunks and reduce to simmer for about 10 minutes.
  9. Remove from the heat, add the strawberry slices (and any additional fruits). Serve warm or cold.