Chicken Tamales

Tamales are made from a masa (a starchy dough, usually based on corn), which is spread onto a wrapping made of leaves (e.g., corn husks), and then filled with a mixture of meat, cheese, vegetables, and chilies, seasoned with various spices. The prepared bundles are then cooked. The leaves are not eaten!

Details

  • Preparation Time: 35 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 180 minutes
  • Difficulty: 2
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 30 pieces Pumpkin leaves

dough

  • 375 g Koruzna moka, whole grain, white

  • 2 teaspoons Baking powder

  • 375 ml Water

  • 125 g Lard

  • 315 ml Soup base, beef, cube

filling

  • 375 g Meat, chicken, breasts

sauce

  • 500 g Tomatillo

  • 0.5 piece Onion, raw

  • 1 bouquet Coriander, leaves, fresh

  • 0.25 teaspoons Salt, table

  • 1 pinch Spices, pepper, black

  • 1 spoon Oil, olive

Steps

  1. Prepare the sauce. Clean and wash the tomatillos. Wash the cilantro, shake it dry, and roughly chop it. Peel, wash, and chop the onion. Place the tomatillos in a pot, cover them with water, and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Drain and peel the tomatillos. Reserve the liquid.

  2. In a blender, mix the peeled tomatillos, cilantro, salt, pepper, and add enough of the reserved liquid to create a fairly thick mixture. Heat oil in a pan with a thick bottom and sauté the onion for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatillo mixture and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Add more liquid if needed. After twenty minutes, remove the pan with the sauce from the heat.

  3. Prepare the dough. In a bowl, mix the cornmeal, water, and lard. Slowly and gradually add the broth and baking powder. Beat the dough with a wooden spoon until bubbles start to form. Perform a test: drop a spoonful of dough into a bowl of cold water. If the dough does not fall apart and floats on the surface, it is ready. Otherwise, beat it for a few more minutes.

  4. Drain and dry the corn husks. Place 2 husks in the palm of your left hand and fill them with 1 tablespoon of sauce, 1 tablespoon of dough, some pieces of cooked chicken, and another tablespoon of sauce. Carefully wrap the husks around the filling, then fold both ends to create a closed bundle.

  5. Leave some space in the bundle, as the dough will expand during cooking. Arrange the tamales in a steamer pot. Place a pot of water on the stove and wait for it to boil. Place the steamer pot with the tamales in the pot and steam them for about 1.5 hours. Add water to the pot as needed.

  6. Arrange the prepared tamales on plates and serve. You can serve them with the heated tomatillo sauce on the side, if any is left. Do not eat the husks!

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 213.16 kcal
  • Fat: 11.4 g
    • Saturated Fat: 3.47 g
  • Carbohydrates: 19.96 g
    • Sugars: 1.05 g
  • Protein: 6.26 g
  • Fiber: 1.92 g

Advice

Instead of tomatillos, you can use green or red tomatoes, and instead of chicken, you can use cooked turkey, beef, fish, or pork. Instead of corn husks, you can prepare the tamale wrappers yourself using foil and parchment paper, cut into 20 cm squares. The prepared bundles should be tied with kitchen twine to prevent them from opening during cooking.