Homemade Tamales (Vegan)

I grew up eating tamales... my aunt Jerry was known for hers and they always made their way to our annual family reunion Saturday night pot luck spread.  Yum! 

And as an adult... I've often thought about trying to make them but I just never did.  Until recently that is.  Until moving back to my home state of Louisiana.

Tamales are ridiculously easy to make, and oh, so wonderful to eat fresh and right from their corn husk wrappers. They're not something you can make just a few of, but fortunately, they store well, and are just as tasty when reheated.  I like to keep a few for weekly meals, and then freeze the rest for future dinners.

Most tamales are made with a dough made from masa harina, a very finely ground flour made from corn that has been dried, cooked, ground up and dried again. Don't confuse this with corn meal, which has a different flavor and texture. Masa can be purchased in many grocery stores, in the same aisle as flour and corn meal.

Ingredients for the dough:

• 4 cups masa harina
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

This recipe will make enough dough for roughly four dozen tamales. I tend to cut the recipe in half unless I'm making these for a group of people.

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl to create a dough that's sort of the same texture as cookie dough.

Next, you'll need some wrappers. Most grocery stores in my area carry dried corn husks for making tamales---but I live in Louisiana, near the border of Texas... the land of abundant Mexican foods. You can buy these online, or, in a pinch, you can use the green corn husks from fresh corn.

Soak the wrappers in water for ten minutes or so. I usually push a stack of them into a bowl, let them soak, and then flip the stack over as I make the tamales. Flipping back and forth gives me wet husks to work with, while getting the next bunch ready.

The third thing you'll need is a filling. You can put just about anything that will withstand steaming into a tamale. I made four types this morning---two that are sort of traditional, and one that is a little farther off the beaten path:

1. Vegan Ground "Meat" (you can purchase this at a local health food store such as LightLife Smart Ground).  Season as appropriate.  I tend to keep it unseasoned, and then add a little taco sauce on the tamale after it's cooked.

2. Black Beans & Green Chilies - For this filling, drain a can of black beans and rinse them. Also drain a small can of chopped green chilies. Mix them together, and add spices---mine usually gets a few shakes of ground cumin. Makes enough to fill a dozen tamales.

3. Spinach & Garlic - Chop two cups of fresh spinach, and toss with a clove of grated garlic, or a half teaspoon of powdered.  Makes enough to fill a dozen tamales.

Assembling the Tamales:

• For each tamale, you'll need two pieces of corn husk. Layer them on top of each other, so the narrow ends are going in opposite directions.
• Put about two tablespoons of dough onto the top layer of corn husk, and smash it flat.
• Add a tablespoon of filling down the center of the dough.
• Pull the sides of the top corn husk together, to sort of roll the dough over the filling. Wrap the edges around each other, and place the husk seam side down on the second husk. Roll the second husk around the first, creating a tube with the filling at the center. Tie the ends of the husks with string or strips of corn husk.
• Place a steamer into a large pot of water. Bring the water to boil. Place the tamales in the steamer, and steam for half an hour. The dough will be more solid, but not hard.
• Snip the strings, unroll, and eat while still steaming.

Tada! That's it... super simple and SOOO delish!

~ Christina