Vegan tamales, a vegetarian recipe from Mexico

Name: Vegan tamales
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mexico
Ingredients: 20 dried corn husks; 400 g masa harina; 150 ml neutral vegetable oil; 1 tsp baking powder labelled gluten free; 1½ tsp salt; 600 ml warm vegetable stock, labelled gluten free; 250 g button mushrooms, finely chopped; 250 g cooked black beans; 1 onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 2 dried guajillo chillies; 1 tsp ground cumin

Method

Soak the corn husks in hot water for 30 minutes until pliable. Soak the deseeded guajillos for 15 minutes too, then blend them with a splash of their soaking water.
Soften the onion and garlic in 1 tbsp of oil. Add the mushrooms and brown them, then stir in the beans, guajillo purée, cumin and salt. Cook for 5 minutes until thick, and set aside.
Whisk the remaining oil with the baking powder and salt until pale. Beat in the masa harina, then the stock a little at a time, until you have a soft dough the texture of thick mashed potato.
Drain a husk and spread 2 heaped spoonfuls of dough over the wide half, leaving the edges clear. Spoon a line of filling down the middle.
Fold the sides over to enclose the filling, then fold the narrow tip up. Repeat with the remaining husks.
Stand the tamales upright, open end up, in a steamer basket. Cover with a clean tea towel, then the lid.
Steam for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, topping up the water as needed. They are done when the dough pulls cleanly away from the husk. Rest for 10 minutes before unwrapping.

Tamales are an assembly-line family affair, made in big batches before holidays. They freeze well once cooked: steam from frozen for about 15 minutes to reheat.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.
Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know when the tamales are done?

The dough should peel cleanly away from the corn husk when you open one. If it still sticks, wrap it back up and steam for another ten minutes. The 10-minute rest off the heat before opening is part of the setting too.

Why whip the oil before adding the masa?

Beating until the mixture turns pale works air into it, which gives a light dough rather than a dense one. That is the job whipped lard does in traditional tamales; here vegetable oil stands in, which makes the beating all the more important.

Can I make them ahead or freeze them?

Yes, and it is the custom: they are assembled in batches the day before a celebration. Once cooked they freeze very well and reheat in 15 minutes of steam, straight from frozen. Avoid the microwave, which dries the dough out.

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Vegan tamales

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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