It's Time to Make Tamales

It's WAY easier than you 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.

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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

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1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Keep going. This is still too dry!
4. Tear a couple of soaked corn husks into long ribbons. We will use them to tie the tamales.
5. Point end away from you
6. Err on the side of less masa so it’s easy to wrap up.
7. I like thin masa and thick filling.
8. Leave room for tamale expansion.
9. Fold the pointy end in. Then fold in the rounded end.

1. Creative tamale binding
2. Ready for the steamer
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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

​TheGoodFoodProject.co​

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