It's Time to Make Tamales
It's WAY easier than your think!
Tamales are a beloved, celebratory food that has been made in Guatemala and Mexico since 5000 BC. This highly portable, endlessly customizable, inexpensive bit of deliciousness is primarily made from masa (a kind of corn meal), oil or butter, broth or water, dried corn husks, and a filling of your choice.
While tamales have a reputation for being a labor of love requiring many hours of work by many people, I’d like to show you that fantastic tamales can easily be made by one person (you!) in less than an hour.
Why make tamales? Here are a few good reasons:
Tamales are easy to make
They come together quickly
Are inexpensive
Tamales are a great way to use up left-overs - so many filling options
They can be savory or sweet
You can freeze them
And reheat them
Tamales are great for breakfast topped with with an egg and some salsa.
And best of all, being handed a wrapped tamale feels like receiving a present!
Today, I’m going to show you how to make tamales by hand.
Things you’ll need:
Masa
Masa is a flour of ground corn that has been nixtamalized (soaked in lime), specifically used for making tamales and corn tortillas. Polenta and cornmeal are similar (both made from corn) but can not be used interchangeably for tamales. Look for it at the grocery store near the flour or with the Hispanic foods.
Corn husks
Tamales are wrapped in dried corn husks that have been soaked in warm water to make them pliable. Look for corn husks at the grocery store in the produce department or with the Hispanic foods. Plantain or banana leaves work well if they are available in your area. Parchment paper would work, too. To eat your tamales, after they’ve been steamed, peel open the husk and use it as a plate.
Some kind of fat
Traditionally, tamales were made with lard but any type of fat can be used. Vegetable oil, butter, margarine, and vegetable shortening are all good options. I prefer olive oil for savory tamales and butter for sweet dessert tamales but use what you like.
Broth or water
You will need a liquid to soften the masa. I generally choose what kind of liquid to use based on my filling. The liquid from soaking dried mushrooms would be a great choice, as would the liquid that you used to rehydrate dried chilis. Any kind of broth - veggie, chicken, beef, etc - is fine for savory tamales. I use water for sweet tamales.
Baking powder
Adding baking powder to your masa dough helps the tamales fluff up while they are steaming.
Filling
So many options here.
Black beans
Diced jalapenos
Cheese
Shredded rotisserie chicken
Green chiles
Roasted poblano peppers
Nuts
Sweet potato
Dried fruit - raisins, apricots, dates
Rice
Mushrooms
Quinoa
Broccoli florets
Pork shoulder
Salsa
Zucchini
Fruit - berries, apples, pears, banana
Chocolate
Coconut
Dulce de leche
Pineapple
Jackfruit
Use any of these ideas or mix and match. You really can’t make a bad decision here.
Extras
Masa can be a little bland on its own so some spices are a welcome addition. Chile powder, cumin, black pepper bring some zip to savory tamales, while brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and cardamom help perk up dessert tamales. Don’t forget to add salt!
Let’s make tamales
Soak the corn husks in warm water. Submerge them entirely and put a plate on top to hold them under the water. Let them soak for 15 or 20 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, mix 2 cups of masa, 2 TBSP of oil, 1 1/2 Tsp of baking powder, salt, and any flavor extras you’d like to add. This makes about 12 tamales. Feel free to double (or more) the recipe.
Drizzle in 1 to 2 cups of liquid, mixing with a silicone spatula or your fingers until the masa is the consistency of fresh Play-Dough or fairly wet sand
Keep going. This is still too dry! Tear a couple of soaked corn husks into long ribbons. We will use them to tie the tamales.
Form your tamales. Find a well-shaped, pliable husk and place it in your not-dominant hand with the pointy end away from you.
Point end away from you Use a wet hand to press a ball of masa into a rectangle, off-center, and closer to the left side of your husk. Don’t make it too thick. We want a good proportion of filling to masa.
Err on the side of less masa so it’s easy to wrap up. Add some filling.
I like thin masa and thick filling. Fold the masa up around the filling like a canoe, then fold the left side of the husk over the tamale. Follow with the right side, leaving some room for the tamale to expand while it’s steaming.
Leave room for tamale expansion. Fold the pointy end in. Then fold in the rounded end.
Use the husk ribbon to make a belt to hold your tamale together. You can tie it any way you like. This is a great way to keep track of your tamales if you are making tamales in a group or to choose different tying designs to signify different fillings.
Creative tamale binding Repeat with the rest of the masa and husks.
Ready for the steamer When you are ready to steam your tamales, bring an inch of water to a simmer in a steamer or stockpot with a steamer basket. Stack your tamales (above the water!), cover, and let steam for 20-30 minutes. Add more water as needed to prevent the pot from boiling dry.
Check for doneness by peeling the husk away from one tamale. If the tamale is gummy or stuck to the husk, continue steaming for another 5 minutes and test again.
Let the tamales rest for 10 minutes, and then serve. Preferably with salsa! Dessert tamales are great with a drizzle of dulce de leche.
With much love and tamales ~
Chelly
