Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (44 page)

8. Test the tamales for doneness: carefully remove a single tamale, let it cool for a few minutes, and peel back the wrapper from one end. The tamales are done when the husk wrapper pulls away easily. Cooked masa feels solid and has a somewhat firm yet tender texture. Maybe you could say it’s like firm, sliced polenta, but way better. Sometimes cooked tamales may still be a little sticky. Slightly sticky tamales sometimes just need a little more cooling, about 20 minutes, to firm up and no be longer tacky.

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Makes about two dozen tamales

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Time: About 30 minutes

 

½ cup nonhydrogenated vegetable
shortening
½ cup nonhydrogenated vegan
margarine
3½ cups Mexican masa harina
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups warm light-colored vegetable
stock or “chicken”-flavored
vegetable stock

 

1. In a large bowl, use a handheld mixer to cream together the shortening and margarine until creamy and light. If using a stand mixer, be sure to frequently scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Sift in the masa harina, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt then continue to beat for about 3 minutes, until a sandy-looking mixture forms. Pour the vegetable stock into the masa mixture and continue to beat until all of the liquid is absorbed and a fluffy dough forms, about 5 minutes.

2. The tamale dough should have a moist but not overly wet consistency—similar to mashed potatoes—and be easily spread with a rubber spatula. If the mixture seems too wet, sprinkle in another tablespoon or two of masa harina. If too dry, drizzle in a tablespoon of vegetable broth until the desired consistency is reached. Use this dough right away for making tamales.

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Makes about two dozen tamales

•
Time: 1½ to 1 hour 45 minutes

 

24 large dried corn husks, plus 6 to 8 more
for tying the tamales and lining the
steamer basket
1 pound sweet potatoes (2 small to
medium-size are better than a large one)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive or peanut oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ pound yellow onion, diced
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce,
minced, plus 2 tablespoons sauce, or
more to taste
¼ cup vegetable broth or white wine
2 cups cooked black beans
1 recipe Savory Vegan Masa Dough
(page 188)

 

1. Soak the corn husks in warm water. When you’re ready to assemble the tamales, tear two or three long husks into ¼-inch-wide strips. Keep the strips in water until ready to use.

2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pierce the sweet potatoes several times with a fork, wrap in foil, and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft enough to be easily pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven, unwrap, slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, and let cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the skins, place the sweet potatoes in a bowl, add the ground cumin, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Use a fork or potato masher to mash the potatoes to a chunky puree.

3. Prepare the black beans: In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, combine the olive oil and garlic. Allow the garlic to sizzle for 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add the onion and fry until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotles and their sauce and the vegetable broth, stir, and simmer for 1 minute. Add the black beans, bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed but beans are still moist, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow beans to cool.

4. For each tamale: Spread a generous ¼ cup of dough down the center of a pliable soaked corn husk, leaving at least 1½ inches on either end. This will form an oblong shape 4 to 5 inches wide and ⅜ to ½ inch thick. Spoon 1 generous tablespoon of sweet potato down the center of the tamale dough, then top with 1 tablespoon of black beans.

5. Now grab both edges of the corn husk that are not covered with dough. Bring the edges toward each other and push the sides of the masa dough together to encase the filling. Gently press the tamale to form a firm, solid tube shape. Tightly twist each end of the tamale wrapper (so it looks a little like a wrapped piece of candy) and tightly tie each end with a soaked corn-husk strip. Some sauce may leak out of the dough into the interior of the corn husk wrap, but it will not have any effect on the steamed tamales. Repeat with the remaining dough, filling, and husks. When you’re finally tired of making tamales, it’s time to get the steamer basket ready.

6. To steam the tamales: Remove the steamer basket from the pot. Fill the pot with 2 to 3 inches of water, or whatever level will stay below the steamer basket. Cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, line the bottom of the steamer basket with some soaked corn husks. Set the tamales, unwrapped end upright, into the steamer basket, first layering them around the sides of the basket and working inward. Top the tamales with any leftover soaked husks, if you have them, place the steamer basket in the pot, and cover.

7. Steam the tamales for at least 55 minutes, up to 1 hour 5 minutes. Check the pot occasionally to make sure the water has not evaporated; add more hot water as needed. Test to see if the tamales are ready by removing a tamale and peeling back some corn husk. Fully cooked tamale dough will be tender but solid, not wet. Remove the entire basket from the pot, place on a dinner plate, and let stand, covered, for at least 15 minutes to cool. Handle the tamales carefully (tongs are handy) as they will still be hot and steaming.

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Makes about two dozen tamales

•
Time: About 1½ hours, not including Red Chile Sauce or Red Steamed Seitan

 

24 large dried corn husks, plus 6 to 8
more for tying the tamales and lining
the steamer basket
2 loaves Steamed Red Seitan (page 34, or
about ¾ pound purchased or home-
made seitan, sliced into ¼-inch pieces
5 tablespoons peanut or other vegetable oil
½ pound yellow onion, cut in half and
sliced into thin strips
¼ pound red bell pepper (half a large
pepper), seeded and sliced into
thin strips
1 recipe Red Chile Sauce (page 45)
1 recipe Savory Vegan Masa Dough
(page 188)

 

1. Soak the corn husks in warm water and, when you’re ready to assemble the tamales, tear two or three long husks into ¼-inch-wide strips. Keep the strips in water until ready to use.

2. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the peanut oil over medium heat. When a piece of seitan sizzles when placed in the pan, add the rest of the seitan and stir to coat in the hot oil. Using a metal spatula to stir, fry the seitan until the edges are starting to turn crisp and brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the seitan to a large mixing bowl.

3. Pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, heat over medium heat, and add the onion and pepper. Fry in the same manner as the seitan until the onion turns translucent and soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and pour the onion and peppers into same bowl as the seitan. Add 1½ cups of the chile sauce to the seitan mixture, and stir to coat. Set aside the remaining sauce to serve with the cooked tamales. Allow the mixture to cool enough to be handled.

4. I like to shape these tamales the “openended” method. In the center of a large corn-husk, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of masa dough. Using your fingers, spread or pat the dough toward the wide end of the husk, while also spreading the dough outward. Properly formed dough should be about ¼ inch thick, about ¼ inch from the wide end (what will be the open end) of the husk and 3½ to 4 inches wide. You will want at least 2 inches of uncovered corn husk on either side of the spread dough, plus at least 3 inches of uncovered space at the tapered end of the husk.