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.
design by: @KidSisters
I like dishes from mushrooms, in Indonesia there is something like that, namely wrapped in banana leaves, the name is "pepes"
Oh I would love to know how to make that. Will you make a post?
ok my friend, next time I will post a special “pepes” for you @carolynstahl
Beautiful dish and delicious food! I wish I could eat your food my friend.
That's so kind of you to say. I would much rather be eating what you're eating right now. I think Justin probably would like to eat what you're eating as well. Take care my friend.
Well, if money wasn't a problem, I'd travel to Canada just to get my hands on these. They look delicious.
I would love to see you here in Canada but I wouldn't wish Canada on anybody haha. I thank you kindly chef. 💚😌
Uh... I lkke this food 🤗👌👌👌 and Mexico is cool, I must get in there also 👌👌👌💪
Thank you. I hope you get there someday. It's a wonderful place.😊
Thanx ;))
Look like delicious. Have a nice day🙂.
Thank you and same to you.
@tipu curate 🍷
Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 75/95) Liquid rewards.
Thank you!
I think many of us are resigned to smaller worlds. How lucky we are that we have travelled a bit already.
I've NEVER had tamales, though I desperately want to now. I have a real hankering for Mexican flavour now but I don't think I have enough ingredients at the moment. A reminder to get some chipotle!
Yeah I don't think over there the flour would be easy to find but you could probably get it online. It's a must try and has the taste of Mexico infused in it. Oh yeah I need more chipotle too!
Yes, you can get it here! Melbourne is super awesome with food..
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It's 12h, time for lunch and I see this provocative tamal!! @carolynstahl thank you for sharing us
Haha thank you. I like that it's provocative.
Delicious… now I’m hungry
Haha thank you I am happy you're hungry.
Haha it's not that I want to re enter but right now we can't leave because of abandoning two seniors that are barely able. I myself would leave them but it's Marc's parents so I can't force him. Plus we need money to last a while before we can figure out how to survive.
The tamales are not supposed to be crispy so your question tells me that Mexican food is not popular over there haha.
I find it weird that your comment was muted. It doesn't make sense to me. I guess our conversation is a step over the line huh?
Thanks for the tunes!
Oh wow this is opening up a big can of worms that I never knew about. One thing is I understand the situation they were in. It would mean they would be stranded in a place that caused great misery for all of them. So going through the hoops in this situation is something that I can't judge regardless of how much I agree with you about the jab and complying with tyranny, and I will personally die for the cause if I were at gun point. However if I were in their shoes I can't say what I would do or not do. I just wish them well and hope that they got saline for now. The folks around me are full on into the cult and I don't bother telling them to do or not do something. I tell them my opinion if they ask but it creates separation to argue and that's what the dark lords want from us. We need to stick together or they will have a better chance to conquer us.
Peace to you!
I know brother I know. 😌