Homemade Tamale Recipe

It’s time to discover an original dish that stands out for the mixture of nutrients it allows to incorporate. Find out what the recipe for homemade tamales is.

The first thing you need to know before preparing this delicious tamales recipe is that this original dish will always be a big hit.

Regardless of the main ingredients you use, this tamale recipe will amaze more than one. And no, this is not a kitchen trick.

To clarify the idea of ​​this recipe a bit, you should understand that tamales do not belong to one country or region. In addition, the way of preparing tamales also has many similarities with other dishes.

In Venezuela, tamales are known as “hayacas” and are differentiated by three types of meat-based stews. In Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Mexico, they keep the same name but the ingredients of this recipe change radically.

Today we will meet all the criteria of this ancestral way of cooking and present you the best recipe for homemade tamales.  Enter the vast world of this original preparation and try it without further delay!

But what does this recipe consist of? Well, this is a culinary elaboration made with corn flour, stuffed with a stew, vegetables and garnished with a sauce.

Then, this mixture is wrapped in a leaf which can be that of the banana or come from another resistant plant and which makes it possible to cover and cook the tamal.

Remember that the appeal of this dish is in the pleasure and the mixture of the different ingredients that you will use. However, you have to be very careful when cooking and mixing all the products together. Follow this recipe step by step and you will see that the result will be a guaranteed success.

Homemade tamales recipe

When it comes to how to prepare the tamales, you need to pay attention to how you cook and mix all the ingredients together.

Quite simply because that’s the secret of this recipe. The flavor they acquire when mixed with the delicious cornmeal will make all the difference.

However, also be aware that the nutritional contribution and the amount of carbohydrate that tamales can provide can be significant. Remember that one way to offset calories is to eat smaller portions.

Not to mention, of course, that each organism assimilates food in a very different way. The fact is that cornmeal contains carbohydrates, but that is not why it is unhealthy.

This is because corn flour also contains a large amount of protein, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants.

It’s time to put aside the myths about recipes from other countries and build our self-confidence. Try new ways of cooking and vary recipes to eat healthier without having to resort to much more expensive and less nutritious ready meals.

Homemade tamales recipe

Ingredients

• 2 onions (150 g)
• 1 tablespoon of salt (25 g)
• 4 cups of water (440 ml)
• 3 cayenne peppers (15 g)
• 1 garlic clove without skin (6 g)
• 1 kilo of corn flour
• 10 banana leaves (500 g)
• 2 and 1/2 cups of margarine (250 g)
• 5 large green tomatoes (500 g)
• 2 cups of chicken broth (220 mL)
• 3 boneless chicken breasts (550 g)
• 4 tablespoons of sunflower oil (90 ml)
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder (25 g)

Preparation of the dough

• The first thing to do, before you even cut or start cooking the ingredients, is to prepare the dough.
• Take a salad bowl and pour 3 large cups of water, then add a tablespoon of salt. Then, little by little, pour in the corn flour and knead the mixture with your hands until you remove all the lumps.
• It is important that the dough is soft enough that you can use it with the stuffing.
• If this amount of water is not enough, you can add a little more, until you get the ideal texture.
• Once you’ve got a smooth dough, it’s time to give it some flavor. Use the chicken broth and knead the dough well until all the liquid is completely absorbed.

Preparation of the sauce

• Now, to prepare the sauce, add the water to a saucepan and heat it over medium heat. Add the green tomatoes, garlic and onion and cook for 10 minutes.
• Once all the ingredients are cooked, place them in a mixing bowl and blend them until you get a smooth sauce.
• Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add the sauce. Brown the sauce for 5 minutes while stirring regularly.

Final preparation of tamales

• Take a banana leaf, then add two big spoons of the paste. Spread them well and pour in a tablespoon of sauce and another of chicken.
• To finish, you will have to do the same with the rest of the dough, the sauce and the chicken.
• For each tamal that you have made, you will need to make sure that they are properly attached so that the mixture does not flow.
• Finally, prepare a large pot of boiling water and gradually add the tamales. The important thing is to cook them well. This procedure will take you approximately 50 minutes.