I have only made tamales once before but I've had them in Mexico a few times when I ate animal products. I had shrimp tamales, pork tamales and chicken tamales. Apparently there are many types including sweet tamales.
I had mushrooms and tofu available in my fridge so this is what I stuffed them with. If you have the corn husks and the tortilla corn flour, it really isn't very complicated. My Mexican chef/manager says that her mother will never make tamales unless she is alone. She says they will fail if the energy is bad. She also has a superstition that it's bad luck to put salt on the floor. Needless to say she is alarmed when I put salt on the floor after an oil spill. It really helps for not slipping. Anyway Marc was in the room when I made these and they turned out fine.
I have been yearning to travel as usual especially in winter. Mexico is the best place so far with tourists going into their country. No requirements so far. I had thought of joining our manager who is currently there visiting her mother. Now they are bringing back the mandatory testing on the way back into Canada, which is not something I will submit to. I would rather not have a confrontation after a nice vacation. I will resign to the fact that I may never travel again. Today they have placed new/old restrictions on things like karaoke, bowling, dancing, etc. This is due to the new scaryant whose anagram is moronic. Double jabbed or not.
In the meantime I can travel in my mind with internationally inspired foods of the world. Tamales are a popular and festive item often consumed at Christmas time in Mexico.
I use a tortilla flour called Maseca which is one of the most popular.
Tamale dough
2 cups tortilla flour(masa harina)
3 or more cups warm water
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup olive oil, coconut oil or vegetable shortening
Mix the water and other ingredients with the flour and form a soft dough. Set aside for a while covered. Soak the corn husks for a while in water. It doesn't need to sit too long.
This makes it easier to work with if they are damp.
You can make your filling in the meantime. Start by mincing or finely chopping the mushrooms(I used black trumpet oyster mushrooms).
Filling for tamales
1 brick tofu
4 or 5 cups mushrooms
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup ground dried shitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon chilly powder
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chipotle pepper (I used a canned one in adobo sauce)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon agave nectar
juice of a lime
salt to taste
Cook the onions and garlic in a hot pan with oil then add tofu and mushrooms, and the rest of the ingredients.
Get it ready to stuff the tamales first by spreading the corn mixture.
Place the stuffing on the corn mixture but don't put too much, as you will wrap the stuffing with the corn mixture.
Roll it into a sausage shape ripping a couple of strings from the husk to tie the ends.
I happen to have a handy dandy double decker steamer that was given to me and it's really great for tamales but you can use any steamer. It takes around half an hour but you have to check it to make sure they've firmed up. I just left them for forty minutes. They were done.
The sauce I made for them was from dried ancho and guajillo peppers, which were soaked for hours in boiled water then blended. I used around a cup of each and cooked them with onion, garlic in olive oil, cumin, coriander, a teaspoon chipotle paste, 2 cups tomato puree, chili powder, pinch of oregano, salt and a dash of sweetener. You can just use a store bought salsa for convenience or just a squeeze of lime. I know people that don't require sauce if the flavors inside are good enough.
Carefully unravel the tamales and plate either with the husk still on or remove them all together.
Make sure you serve them piping hot. When I was growing up I didn't have a clue what tamales were. I always heard characters on television shouting "hot tamales! Get your hot tamales!" Now that I know what they are, I assume it is something that is best served hot based on those words from the telly.
I ate these cold in the middle of the night and they were good. Shhhhsss don't tell!
There seem to be no limits to tamale stuffing so this is just the beginning of my tamale adventure.
Thanks to all of the other cuisines from around the world shared here on Hive, I can travel to many places. I have never had so many cultural influences as I have here and I'm thankful.
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