Recently I had made vegan tamales Mexican style after which, it was brought to my attention by our dear @sirenahippie that there are many similar and comparable foods, throughout Latin America.
I will refer in particular to the traditional Venezuelan "Hallaca". This is also a corn dough stuffed and wrapped in banana leaves. Although comparable to the tamale, this particular item is quite distinct and requires quite a process.
I know I have seen such recipes from Hivers and online, but seemed much too complicated and often contained meat which I have not consumed for quite a while.
Fortunately for me some Hive Chefs have recently shared vegan versions of "hallacas".
@denissemata with her post
@yraimadiaz and her post
@Daifernandez0929 and her post
@jetta.amaya in her post
(Sorry if I missed any other vegan hallaca posts)
All of these recipes will guide me and inspire me to make my own version based on their expert instructions.
Usually when I research traditional recipes, I first go to the ones that are not plant based. I find that veganized versions of traditional foods, often omit key ingredients, other then meat.
In the case of the Hive chefs mentioned, they seem to have good versions varying a bit but giving a great representation of the recipes with meat, which I have looked at online.
I am now going to go on a culinary adventure, to attempt the "Hallacas". I'll be choosing ingredients based on what I have gathered from our wonderful Hive chefs and online, mixing, adding and omitting according to what I have and what I like.
For me, the ingredients that really appeal to me is the combination of olives, raisins, and nuts.
I gathered items that I had, and purchased just a few others. This is my recipe, developed by experimenting and not really knowing what I was doing. Please refer first, to the recipes provided above. These folks are experts.
Filling items
1 leek, 1 potato,1 onion, 4 cloves garlic, 3 habanero chilies, 2 roma tomatoes, 1 carrot,1 green onion ,handful cilantro, annato oil for frying (which I forgot and used regular oil instead), 2 cups vegetable broth, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 4 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce.
1 cup raisins, 1 cup peanuts, 1 cup slivered almonds, 1/4 cup capers, 1 cup olives, roasted red peppers from a jar.
1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon paprika. I added salt to may taste.
Somewhere in my research it was said that you should salt a touch beyond your taste comfort. I did this and it was perfect for me. The olives and tamari are adding to the salt as well.
For the meat substitute I used 150 grams king oyster mushrooms (raw weight), and 250 grams a soy chicken substitute. The mushrooms were shredded and the soy "chicken" was thinly sliced.
This soy chicken is a brand by a company called Paradise Vegan, which specialize in vegan meat substitutes. They do a great job nailing the taste but I know it's not the healthiest product to eat so for me it's for special occasions. I only used half the bag.
The annato infused oil
1 cup oil
1 tablespoon annato seed
I must explain what I did. You see I saw that more seeds were used in most recipes but I got scared. I know that achiote paste is strong and overpowering in my opinion. I guess it's not something I'm used to. I wanted to colour the oil like others do, but because I was afraid the flavour would be too bold I cut back on the seeds not following the guide of the other recipes.
I was wrong. After heating up oil, to a warm temperature, not to let it bubble as directed, I left it in for at least 10 minutes. It wasn't the colour that it should be and it had a mild taste. OOps!!!
Now for the cooking of the stew. I started by cooking the leeks and onions, then garlic, and habanero peppers, then added the potato and carrot. At this point I would have added wine which is done in some recipes. I didn't have any so I added some balsamic vinegar instead. I wasn't sure if I should add the raisins, olives, capers and nuts. I wanted to use it as a garnish before wrapping.
I decided to put half in the stew to add to the flavor, then stirred in the mushrooms and the soy chicken and broth.
I let this cook and simmer for quite a while, stirring occasionally and letting the broth evaporate.
For the dough I used precooked corn flour. This seems to be the brand most are using. "P.A.N." I happened to have some in my cupboard waiting to be used.
Masa dough
3 cups cornflour
1 litre vegetable broth plus a little extra
3/4 cup annato oil
Salt to taste
I really felt strange putting so much oil in this dough. I had to keep in mind that the traditional Hallacas would be made with pork lard and the meat stew would contain much more fat. I imagine that this would add to the appeal of this dish. I added a vegetable broth that I had made earlier while gathering the items and prepping.
Vegetable broth
1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1 onion, 1 large handful of parsley, 1 bulb of garlic, 3 bay leaves, 6 peppercorns, oil to saute, salt to taste, and water to cover.
I don't really stick to a rigid amount when it comes to soup stalk. I just throw in what I have of these main items and rough chop. After browning the items well in hot oil, I cover with water and cook for at least 45 minutes. After I strain and re season.
I mixed the dough until it was smooth and soft. I wasn't sure if I should add more liquid, so I quit at a little over a litre when it felt suitable. If I had an expert beside me they could have told me if it was good. I felt that it was right.
I had 1 package of banana leaves that I had purchased from the Latino grocer a few blocks away from me. I had almost enough for the whole mix. There was mix left over after I managed to roll 12 packages.
I added a golf ball size ball of dough to a lightly greased square of leaf, then pressed down with a parchment paper, then a plate to flatten.
When the dough was flattened I added two large tablespoons of mixture in the middle. I garnished each one with a sprinkle of nuts, raisins, olives,capers and slices of roasted red peppers. I know some people use fresh peppers but I prefer roasted.
After I carefully pulled up the sides pressing the dough together as instructed, then fold.
I repeated with another square then secured with a wide strip in the middle.
When they were all ready for string, I realized,
I forgot to buy string!
The store was already closed so I had to think fast. Yes I happened to have some Jute twine which probably would never be considered to be used for such a thing. But that's what I had so I used it.
The most frustrating part began as I wrestled with trying to tie these things. I watch a video stopping and starting, but still couldn't master the tying.
I felt such frustration from my inability to tie these packages. It made me recall how I felt in grade 2 when the teacher asked me a question. I told her I didn't know the answer. The class was silent as she asked me why I didn't know. I wanted to curl up and hide forever. I didn't know what to say so I blurted out, "because I'm stupid". After this the teacher was in shock and regretted that she asked me that question. I suddenly felt a little bit of a redemption from her discomfort.
I just accepted this bad stringing job, with inappropriate string, and assured myself that in the future of my hallaca making, I will figure it out. It makes sense in my head but I have to teach my hands to follow.
I added the packages to a large pot of water then after bringing to a boil. I turned it down and simmered for a good 40 minutes until they seemed plump and obviously ready to unveil.
At this point, we were anxious to reveal and taste the experiment.
After tasting these, I couldn't help but wonder where they had been all my life.
The hot hallacas provided the tastes that I love all in one bite. Salty, sweet, savoury and spicy.
Marc showed his approval by eating far too many of them.
I thought tamales were good but now I realize there is a new kid in town. I still like tamales though.
What I also loved about them, is that they don't require any sauce or additional condiments on top. All of the flavour is incorporated within.
I was sure there would be several leftovers for days but we had just enough to have for breakfast the next day.
I hope you could bare with me while I attempted this dish. Anyway I'm thankful it was brought to my attention or I could have missed out on a delicious new food experience.
Hope everyone enjoyed their New Year's weekend and a good year to come. Thanks for dropping by!
Photos taken with a Nikon D 7500
design by: @KidSisters
@carolynstahl Hi, this hallaca looks very delicious, I'm glad you've decided to make it and I hope you like our traditional Christmas dish, thanks for mentioning me in your post.
Infinite blessings happy beginning of the year 2023
🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗💯💯💯♥️♥️♥️♥️💫💫☺️☺️🌈🌈🌈😚😚😚🦋😊✨💖💗💗😜🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂😜💗💗💖✨😊😚❤️❤️❤️💫💯💯
I'm super happy that I know this dish now. It's delicious and I love it. I thank you also for your inspiring recipe. All the best to you now and in the coming year!!!!
That looks pretty amazing!!
Thank you so much!!!!
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Thank you for your support!
Hi, I loved your vegan version of hallaca it looks delicious, another vegan version here in Venezuela is with chickpeas and other vegetables such as leeks, carrots, onions, eggplant, among others.
I will try different versions for sure and explore this food much more. I really love it. Thank you very much for your comment.
Greetings @carolynstahl, Wow, you prepared the delicious hallacas, how did you like the taste? in the country we have the habit of eating them "reheated" the next day and they are very good the flavor is more concentrated, of course fresh out of the pot are also delicious. the amarrado was not bad at all, to be the first time.
PAN flour is a product of high demand and consumption in Venezuela, with it the traditional arepas are prepared, among other dishes, I did not know that in Canada they sold this flour.
Happy and blessed year 2023!
I loved these so much and I have not tried real Venezuelan made ones. We are fortunate to have PAN flour in many stores here. There is quite a large Latino community here.
I did notice that the reheated ones are really tasty but they were great fresh as well.
All the best to you in the New year!!!!
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Thank you!
Muy original y deliciosa se ven
Muchas gracias!!!!😊
I am amazed with your preparation, is the best version I've seen, you were very well, I am pleased to see how our culinary culture crosses borders, I congratulate you for the good work, I had not commented to be also cooking a little hahaha, greetings from Venezuela, happy year 2023
Wow that means so much to me. I really appreciate that very much. It was so fun and rewarding. I cannot travel so I have to do it through food.
Greetings from Canada and a great year to you too!
I am a lover of cooking 😊, I know a good recipe when I see one and the ones you make are very good , I do like you , I travel through the recipes I see from other creators 😋, it is a wonderful way to learn about cultures, so I look forward to seeing more of your creations 🤗.
I am a lover of cooking 😊, I know a good recipe when I see one and the ones you make are very good , I do like you , I travel through the recipes I see from other creators 😋, it is a wonderful way to learn about cultures, so I look forward to seeing more of your creations 🤗.
This is great that you have made hallacas and they look delicious. I have never made them vegan, although I have promised my son's girlfriend that as soon as I can make them, I will make a vegan version for her, so I will keep your recipe.
Tying the Hallacas is not easy if you don't have practice. In my house, that task was almost exclusively my mother's until once she had a broken arm there was no other choice but to learn how to tie them ;)
Happy New Year!
I am really happy that they were introduced to me by all the Hivers. I just love them even though I have never tasted the traditional ones.
One day I will master the tying. I have no one else here that can do it haha.
Happy New Year to you too!!!
Nice food you made my dear friend it looks so delicious and mouth-watering.
thanks for sharing. a hug 💓
I want to eat every culture of food but I can't travel. I appreciate your support my friend. Thank you❤️😊
That is what we have to do. I love to eat different food also. No mention please we do it for each other to give support. A hug😊
:o :o :o
you made hallacas!! what a honor hahaha
they are really delicious right? i love them!
I am so loving them. What a treat. It's like a special package of delicious.
Thank you my friend!
Hi @carolynstahl !
I felt super happy when I saw this recipe for vegan hallacas, and not only happy, but honored because you were motivated to make this super complex recipe and it turned out WONDERFUL, I think it's the best vegan hallaca recipe I've ever seen in my life.
Yesterday I was talking to mom about your post. I told her about the tamales you had previously shared, and she told me: "Remind her that hallaca is a job that requires love, that's why it's done as a family, and generally only at Christmas, because it's so laborious, which requires everyone to collaborate to make a unique dish." And yes, mom is right, this is a dish that we generally make as a family in Venezuela, because it is complex; but the laborious gives way to a unique family experience, in which we come together to celebrate and share that, our roots and our sense of family.
Regarding your recipe, it is PERFECT, and I don't think you tied the hallacas wrong, what's more, it was great to use the jute twine, because it is strong and they are better tied. For your first time making this dish, they have been super neat. As for the achiote, when you prepare it like this, heating the seeds in oil, the flavor is milder. We in Venezuela do not use achiote paste, only onotado oil, and if you pay attention, its flavor is a bit sweet, it is very particular. Another key ingredient in the preparation of the hallaca is "ají dulce", which only occurs in Venezuela, although I know that other South American countries have been able to cultivate it, but I know that it is very difficult to find.
I remember that when I was little, at home, every Christmas, we made about 600 hallacas, (of course, they were not vegan), and mom and dad gave gifts to the neighbors or to my uncles, my grandparents and cousins. We also froze them in the freezer, well wrapped in plastic bags and then we had hallacas to eat until February. It was always nice to open that package and discover a world of love expressed in such a special dish.
Thank you very much for having made this recipe so Venezuelan, and for having fully respected its essence.
I hope you have a great year 2023. A hug.
What your mother said allows me to see a culture that is close and family oriented. Food for me is not just to fill the stomach. It is an experience and it leaves you with a memory. I love the thought of the participation.
I really am thankful that I could learn of an international dish that I was not familiar with. Most people here have no clue about it. I could eat this,close my eyes and imagine being in a warm beautiful land surrounded by good people. I travel through food
Thank you for the encouragement and all the best to you.
And for me it was a great honor to talk to you about the hallaca, because I believe that, like the "Venezuelan pabellón", perhaps even more so, it is our national dish. Not to disparage tamales, but these are made more frequently. The hallaca is so complex that it requires collective work.
On the other hand, I was very pleased to see that you got the P.A.N. brand pre-cooked corn flour, which is Venezuelan. In fact, precooked cornmeal is a Venezuelan invention from the 1950s, created by engineer Luis Caballero Mejías, tired of seeing that his wife had to grind corn daily to make arepas (the arepa is our bread of everyday). Then I think, I'm not sure, he sold the patent to Industrias Polar, which is a Venezuelan company. The fact that P.A.N. is for sale in countries as far away as Canada, it gives an idea of what the migratory process of my people has been.
When I told you about the hallacas of my childhood, we made them with ground corn, not with precooked flour. Then mom understood that it was easier to make them with precooked flour and so she agreed to make them with that flour.
There is also the younger brother of the hallaca, which is the Christmas bun or seasoned bun, of which @franciscana23 recently shared a recipe in the community, in a vegan version.
The original Christmas bun is made with all the remains of the stew and contour of the hallacas, and a generous portion of hot sauce is added. Me in particular, even making them vegan, I make them very spicy, because I like them that way. They are also delicious and can be frozen.
And I agree with you: Food is not just filling the stomach, it is a trip down memory lane, culture, feelings, emotions, it is an act of love and it is an act that connects us with our roots.
A big greeting.
Now you have added more interest to the flour P.A.N. I did not know the history of it originating in Venezuela. Very interesting. There are several items that I cannot get here in Canada but this flour is everywhere. We seem to have a huge Latino community in this City. More then ever before. But until a while back there were only a few here and there.
You have just introduced for the first time the dish pabillon. It reminds me of Cuba. I will have to find the perfect vegan substitute. For me a plate of rice and beans is divine. Adding an extra item is even better.
Cheers and thanks!
I've never tasted nor seen hallacas but it looks to me that you've mastered making it, those little parcels are very neatly bound🤩
Wonderful step-by-step food blog once again, you need to start your own YouTube channel Carolyn, it's sure to be a hit...that's if you can squeeze more hours into your day!
I'd love to taste this, sounds sooo delicious 😋
I have discovered more through Hive then anywhere else, about the world, cultures and what people eat. I could have been making hallacas a long time ago, since the flour used has been available right here for the longest time. I don't know about your neck of the woods. I assure you they were really good.
Thanks for the suggestion for a channel but I am happy with just Hiving. It helps me focus on something other than all of the poop in the world haha.😊
Shall I say SNAP again, blogging here on Hive does the same for me. I've got withdrawal symptoms, been so crazy here with guests & our sons visiting. They leave tomorrow, and we only have one elderly couple in the cottage, so I will be tapping away at my pc...hopefully.
Hubby took a bad tumble late this afternoon, fell in his left side, arm badly grazed & is having pain at the top of the ribs, hoping it's just bad bruising, we'll see in the morning. He's tough...and stubborn...but he'll have to listen to me!
Oh no I hope hubby will be okay. Rib injuries are awful. I was there and it takes a while to heal. But I'm stubborn like him.
He's only now agreed to go to the doc tomorrow so we'll see but it's very sore when he moves, talk about being stubborn!
Hahah the Hallaca has been in further places that I've been. Your recipe is awesome, and the look is also great. You did an amazing job making this recipe.
Something about Venezuelan flavors is that they are mostly well-balanced, we don't do extremely salty or spicy flavors, and the textures are also pretty friendly, we usually don't have problems with the kids eating most traditional Venezuelan dishes, so they are pretty safe to try for any foreigner.
Thank you for sharing this great international vegan Hallaca hahaha, have a great new year!!!
Well the only way for me to experience Venezuela is to make something Venezuelan. It costs less then a plane ticket. I appreciate the knowledge of this dish but I like mine spicier than most people down there I think.
Thank you so much and a great New year to you as well!
WaoooWaoooo as a Venezuelan I congratulate you for the great job you did. That honor. Congratulations. they look wonderful. My mom is in Canada right now and she made finds with my sister. Thanks for sharing our traditions @carolynstahl ✨
Successes have a beautiful year 2023❤️😘
I really appreciate your comment and support. I was really nervous making these. I didn't know if I could pull it off or not haha. But at the end I was super satisfied.
In Canada there really isn't any dominant traditional food even though they claim to have invented French fries with gravy and cheese curds, (Poutine). Big deal haha. Perhaps your mother and your sister are eating them right now haha.
Thank you very much for the mention. I must say that your hallacas look beautiful and I'm sure they were delicious. Thank you for having prepared this typical Venezuelan recipe at Christmas time.
Thank you too for lending a hand with your tutorial. It is always great to discover a new food that is from another part of the world and learn about tradition and culture.
All the best to you in the coming year!