Purple Corn and Api Morado #EattheWorld

It's hard to believe that we are inching our way towards the end of summer. Our younger son has already gone back to school and our older son is getting ready to head off to college. Yikes! Welcome to the August installment of our #EattheWorld project, being spearheaded by Evelyne of CulturEatz. Here's her challenge. 

This month, we are sharing Native American recipes. Here's the #EattheWorld line-up...

• Sneha’s Recipe: Three Sisters Soup-Native American 
• Magical Ingredients: Succotash 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Celebrating the Algonquin Indian Tribe with 3 Sisters Casserole Skillet 
• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Wild Rice, Squash, & Corn Soup 
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Purple Corn and Api Morado 
• Cultureatz: Indian Navajo Taco with Fry bread

Back in 2010, I went with a 'How the Other Half' eats for our Thanksgiving theme. I made and served...

Wild Sage Bread, Pueblo (New Mexico)
Corn Soup with Venison, Oneida (New York)
Baked Pumpkin, Ojibwa (Ottawa, Canada)
Cornbread-Stuffed Pheasant and Duck with Blackberry Sauce, Cherokee (Texas)
Marinated Quail, Comanche (Texas)
Wild Rice, Passamaquoddy (Maine)
Wilted Dandelion Greens, Cree (Quebec, Canada)
Berry-Cornmeal Cobbler, Abenaki (Maine)
Fresh Herbal Tea, Modoc (California)

I have linked to the ones that I actually posted to my blog though this was in my early blogging days and these posts are in desperate need of an update. Yikes! I did consider redoing one of those for this event, but decided to go a different route.

Since corn is one of the quintessential Native American crops, being a staple of indigenous peoples from South America to the Great Lakes, I wanted to make something with corn. And not just any corn, but a purple corn from Peru. If you have been following my blog for a little while, you might remember when I used the purple corn to make Spiced Smashed Potato Tacos with Homemade Purple Corn Tortillas. This is a delicious drink made with purple corn!

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 cups water
• 1/2 cup purple corn powder
• one organic pineapple
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 Tablespoon whole cloves
• 2 whole star anise
• 1 organic lime, juiced
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
  
• Also needed: ice for serving, wedges of organic lime or lemons for serving

Procedure

Gently scrub your pineapple and slice off the skin in thick strips. Cut the pineapple meat into cubes and set aside.

Add the water and purple corn powder to a pot and bring to a simmer. Whisk until the purple corn powder is completely combined. Stir in the pineapple skins, pineapple cubes, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Let cook for 35 to 40 minutes.

Let cool for 10 minutes. Strain out the fruit and spices. Stir in the maple syrup and juice from the lime. Let the drink cool to room temperature, then store in the fridge to cool completely. Give it a stir before pouring. Serve over ice with a wedge of lime or lemon squeezed into the drink. Enjoy!