Jose Corodado, his Mother Josephine and family were at the Tremont Farmers Market demonstrating Traditional Guatemalan Tamales and Chocolate Rice Milk. I love everything they make and really enjoy having them at the market. This is not the recipe they used it was a recipe I had for Traditional Guatemalan Tamales which is different from Mexican Tamales because of the chili’s they use and they add great spices and pumpkin seeds to theirs. They also used corn husks which can be interchanged with banana leaves listed below.
Recipe for Guatemalan Tamales
Christmas tamales Patzun, Chimaltenango, Guatemala.
Guatemalan Tamales (makes 20 tamales plus extra sauce)
Step 1: Preparing the Leaves
Ingredients:
• 20 banana leaves
• 20 leaves for inner wrapper (from a plant that has red flowers – Y didn’t know the name)
1. Cut of leaf stems and break stalks about halfway into the leaf, so they can fit into the pot (and be folded later on).
2. In large pot, boil leaves for 30 minutes.
3. Remove pot from heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
4. Remove leaves and clean each leaf, front and back, with a towel. Easiest way seems to be to push a towel across the leaf, going with the grain.
5. Place in a pile to dry and cool overnight.
Step 2: Masa
Ingredients:
• 2 lbs. corn flour
• 5 liters cold water
• ¼ stick butter
• salt
1. Mix flour, water, and butter.
2. Salt to flavor.
3. Boil for 30 minutes, stirring the whole time.
4. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours or until mixture is very thick.
Step 3: Sauce
Ingredients:
• 2 lbs. tomatoes
• ½ lb. (de-husked) miltomates
• 2 chiles pimientas
• 2 chiles guaques
• 2 chiles pasas
• 1 oz. pumpkin seeds
• 1 oz. sesame seeds
• ½ tbsp. achiote paste
• 3 tbsp. water
1. On stovetop, toast the pumpkin and sesame seeds until slightly browned.
2. Remove stems and seeds from chiles.
3. Boil chiles guaques and chiles pasas in water (enough to cover them in small pot) for 30 minutes.
4. Boil tomatoes, miltomates, and chiles pimientos in water (enough to cover them) for 30 minutes. Drain water.
5. Combine end products from Steps 1-4 and liquefy in blender.
6. Add achiote paste and water.
7. Boil mixture for 30 minutes.
8. Salt to taste.
Step 4: Assembly
Ingredients:
• Raisins
• Prunes
• Sliced chile pimiento
• Capers
• Olives
• Raw bits of meat (if desired)
• Long plant fibers (like thin rope) for tying the tamales. If fibers are not long enough as is, split in two lengthwise and tie them end-to-end.
1. Place smaller open leaf on top of the larger (banana) open leaf, undersides facing up.
2. Place scoop of masa in center of leaf.
3. Place scoop of sauce on top of the masa.
4. Add a bit of each ingredient in above list on top of sauce and masa.
5. Fold in each side of the smaller leaf over the masa, sauce, and ingredients, enveloping them.
6. Fold in each side of the larger leaf over the smaller leaf and its contents, enveloping them.
7. Use the plant fibers to tie up the tamale like a present.
Step 5: Cooking
1. Place tamales in a big pot, with the tamales horizontal in an approximate circle, leaving space in the middle.
2. Pour water in the middle to about halfway up the pot.
3. Place plastic bags around the sides to hold in the steam.
4. Cover.
5. Boil for one hour.
6. Unwrap (draining out any water inside the leaves) and eat! The texture will be similar to thick mashed potatoes.
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