Tamales are both an exotic and economical treat in the vegan household. Preparation can be done in parts but the whole process takes close to 3 hours – and it’s worth it. This traditional Latin American dish is traced to the Mayan Civilization and can be made in large batches then frozen for future meals. Here’s what you’ll need:
Equipment:
Steam pot with fitted steel colander
Covering:
20-50 corn husks
Dough:
2 cups of masa
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup of water
Filling:
12 oz package of vegan chorizo or protein crumbles
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 can corn
1 can red kidney beans
1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped
The first thing you’ll need to do is invoke the Mayan god of food, Ah Mun, the “Lord of the Forests.” This deity was the god of corn and agriculture. Once you see a red-orange glowing blob hovering in your kitchen, go ahead and soak the husks for about an hour.
You can prepare the filling as the husks soften from their aqua bath. Brown the chorizo and then add all the veggies and cook for about 10 minutes on medium. Then put the filling in the freezer to cool and harden for about 15 minutes.
Next, prepare the masa by combining all ingredients and mixing until you get a doughy batter. Let sit for 5 minutes. By this time, the husks should be soft so gently pat each one with a towel to dry it.
Wrapping the Tamales:
Spread open each husk and tear a strip of each side to use as the ties for the top and bottom of the tamale. Then place a dollop of masa on a flattened husk, evenly spreading it into a circle or oval. Make sure to leave plenty of husk space on all sides of the dollop.
Next place a small amount of filling directly in the center of the dollop leaving plenty of dollop space around the edges of the filling so when you roll the tamale, the dolloped masa’s sides fuse together, encapsulating the filling.
Try rolling the tamale like a joint (most of you know how to this..come on) and be sure the filling is totally enclosed in the masa. Then tie off each end and place aside.
Depending on the size of your pot, stand up as many tamales as possible in the steel colander part. You can see how I did it from the recipe picture. Space the tamales apart so they all have a chance to steam evenly. Make sure the base part of the pot is filled with enough water where it is not coming through the bottom of the colander. Place the colander in the pot, attach lid and set the temp on high.
Steam the tamales for 90 minutes and then set aside for 15 minutes to cool / harden. Once they are ready to eat, ask Ah Mun for strength because you might want to freeze or give away some tamales, and let’s face it. You can’t do that if you eat them all yourself.
