Hot Vegetarian Tamale

                                                              Hot Vegetarian Tamale         

Tamales are a traditional South American food. It is made with a corn (masa) dough filled with meat/vegetarian fillings. I got introduced to Tamales by my Peruvian colleague. She brings us specially vegetarian tamales from authentic restaurants. I loved the taste and texture of it, and it reminds me of many mangalorian recipes like mudde, parthrode, etc.. Fresh vegetarian fillings can be made with many combinations like corn, capsicum, red bell pepper, jalapenos, tomatoes, and cheese. During this lockdown, I made it with the ingredients that were available at home. I attempted this recipe, although it was a little tricky but not impossible to make. I was not sure the kids would like it, but they loved it. 
So here is the recipe which is healthier and tastier.

Ingredinets:

1 fresh corn with husk
2-3 cups corn meal
salt as per taste
1-2 cups vegetable stock(I used 1/2 cup cauliflower cream soup can)
5-6 tablespoons butter
2 tabelspoon olive oil
1 large chopped tomato
1 small copped onion /5-6 green onions
1 tsp cumin 
1 cup corn kernels
1/4 bunch cilantro(corriander leaves)
2-3green chili
aji amarillo paste(optional)(I used corriander leaves,green chili ,ginger,cumin paste)  
1/2 cup queso fresco crumbeled(I used mexican ceheese and creame cheese)
11/2 tsp taco seasoning(I used, optional)
1-2 tabelspoon black cooked beans(I used,optional)
1/4 big chopped capsicum(I used,optional)
1 Jalapenos chopped(optional,I didn't have)
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
 There are multiple steps to this recipe.

Step1:

Remove and clean the corn husk. Put it in a colander completely covered with hot water. Soak it for 30 minutes to an hour till it softens. Drain and keep it aside, making sure its moisture remains as it should not be dried. Also remove corn kernels and keep it aside.







Step2:

Preparation of dough: 
In a bowl, mix corn meal, 1 1/2 cup vegetable stock, salt,  green chili, ginger, and coriander paste. Add the softened butter and knead the dough nicely till it's smooth and soft. Adjust the vegetable stock accordingly. If you need more, add more of it. The dough should be soft, sticky, and not stiff.

step3:

Preparation of fillings:
Take a pan and put oil. Once the oil is hot, add cumin. When the cumin turns a little dark, add onion and saute for a minute. Add coriander, green chili, and ginger paste. Saute this. Then add capsicum, jalapenos, tomatoes, and corn. Mix it nicely and cook it a little bit. Add some taco seasoning, salt, beans, and 1 tsp cream cheese. Cook until the water evaporates and the vegetables are soft. Adjust the flavor according to your tastes.Add pepper powder and mix.


Step 4:

Once the filling is cooled a bit, take a corn husk and place about 2-3 tablespoon of dough in the center of it. Spread the dough using your finger. Add 1 tablespoon of the fillings mixture and sprinkle with cheese on the top. You can even cover with dough although I didn't do that. Slowly roll the husk and finish making the others like that. I didn't but you can tie the tamale with a strand of husk, twine, or toothpick to secure the filling. I made small tamales, but you can make them big using two corn husks together.   

Step5:

 

Steaming Tamales:
Bring 1/4 of water to boil in a steamer pot or a large pot with colander on top. Place the tamales on top of the colander or steamer. The tamales should be above the water line. Steam them for 30-40 minutes. Add water to the pot if required.


Serve the hot tamales with any Mexican sauce or salsa. Enjoy!