Tamales

Makes around 12 tamales

I’m back! Yes I know what the hell happened?  Life happened (literally)… I had a child and couldn’t carry on blogging, and once you stop it’s oh! So very difficult to start again but here I am!

Today, I want to write about tamales pronounced tah-MAH-les (plural), one tamal is tah-mahl. When people ask mewhat a tamal is I tend to say it’s like a Mexican dumpling, mainly because to cook it, you have to steam it.

Tamales are usually street food in Mexico, and as much as they are ordinary daily food, they are as well served in special occasions such as baptisms and other religious celebrations.  

My husband loves that every time that we land in Mexico (which is usually very early morning), my dad asks straight away: “Should we get tamales?” And of they go to the corner of our street in Mexico City and buy them from a lady that has been there for years.  They are dead cheap and awesome!

There are unaccountable tamal varieties and they are mainly distinguished by the wrapping; either corn husk or banana plant leaves and or by their stuffing which is sweet or savoury: chicken, pork, beef, cheese, beans, etc.

This recipe is for the sweet tamales which people usually have for brekkie or for a light super.  

• 16 Corn husks
• ½ kg.  of corn flour, you can get it at https://www.facebook.com/AztecaMexicanFoodProducts  
• 1/2 cups hot water previously boiled with aniseed
• 1 cup of butter or lard
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup of raisins
• ½  cup of crushed pineapple (drained)
• 3 to 4 drops of red food colouring

Soak the corn husks in hot (boiling) water for 1 hour until very soft and pliable.  Rinse with cold water and pat dry completely with paper towels. 

For South Africans might be a little bit difficult to find the dried corn husks, but if you have a local veggie shop you can ask them to keep the husks for you and use fresh ones. 

        

Mix the corn flour with the hot water until the dough start to form a ball.  The mixture will be kind of dry and crumbly. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter with the sugar, the salt and baking powder until light and fluffy for about 3 minutes.  Add the food colouring, raisins and pineapple.

Spread 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons of tamal batter onto two-thirds of a corn husk, leaving a 2 cm. border free at the top and on the left-side edge.  

 

Gently fold over the left side of the corn husk, so that the batter wraps around the filling.  Finish rolling the corn husk and tuck in the ends.

Arrange the tamales in a deep pot.  Don't pack them in too tight, because they need room for the steam to circulate.  Without getting any water on the tamales, fill the pot with about 2-inches of water (about 2 or 3 cups, depending on the size of your pot).

Cover the pot and let the tamales simmer over medium heat for about an hour, adding more water if necessary.  You'll know the tamales are done cooking, because the batter will have puffed up.  Let the tamales cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy! Love Lola!