Tamales have a way that of bringing a group together. You could make these by yourself, but really they are the sort of thing, like dumplings, that are much more fun to put together with family, extended family even, or a big group of friends.
In class, we assembled and tied our tamales, steamed them, and ate them up altogether. Recipes like this one that are like art projects always please the children and bring the feeling of fun and community into the kitchen. Our mini-chefs attention span magically expanded, and they sat there working on this project for a long time, absorbed in what they were doing.
We filled our tamales with a cumin tomato sauce, the masa harina dough, and some roasted chicken, but you can really go to town in dreaming up your favorite fillings. Roasted vegetables, pork, tofu, and various sauces- anything goes. Make a bunch at once and try to get everyone in on the action because, as fast as they are made, they will be gone even more quickly.
Tamales with Cumin Tomato Sauce
For the Masa Harina Dough:
*4 c. masa harina
*1 t. salt
*1 t. baking powder
*3/4 c. butter, room temperature
*3/4 c. vegetable shortening, room temperature
*1/2 c. carrot puree
*1 1/2- 2 c. warm water
*1 c. corn kernels, optional (frozen kernels are fine)
Together: In a big bowl, measure the masa harina, salt, and baking powder and combine thoroughly with a whisk. Place that mixture in the bowl of an unplugged standing mixer or food processor. (You can absolutely mix this dough by hand if you do not have either appliances or would just like to do it without. It will take a bit longer of course.) Secure the lid, and plug in the food processor (Big Person) if you are using a food processor. Add the butter, vegetable shortening, and carrot puree and mix for another minute or process for a few seconds. Begin to add the water, starting with 1 1/2 c. and adding more as necessary. The dough should begin to form a ball. In a mixer this might take a couple of minutes, and in the food processor it will be a few seconds.
When a ball forms, place the dough into a large bowl and stir in the fresh corn kernels by hand.
For the Cumin Tomato Sauce:
*3 c. crushed tomatoes
*1 T. olive oil
*1 small onion, finely chopped
*1 clove garlic, minced
*1 T. cumin
*2. teaspoons dried ginger
*1 T. honey
*salt and pepper to taste
Big Person: Saute the onion in the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and the spices and saute, stirring, another minutes. Then add the tomatoes and let simmer for about 20 minutes uncovered so that the sauce reduces.
To make the tamales:
*about 48 dried corn husks
*one recipe of masa harina dough
*one recipe of the cumin tomato sauce
*optional: pulled pork, roasted chicken, grilled or roasted vegetables, etc.
About 30 minutes before assembling your tamales, soak the corn husks in warm water.
Set up a large pot and tight fitting lid with an inch or more of cold water. Have some more water waiting to be poured into the pot when you need it while the tamales are cooking. Place a steamer insert inside the pot, making sure that the water level is lower than the insert. Bring the water to a boil while you are assembling the tamales.
To make the tamales: First have your mini chef tear a couple of the corn husks into thin (1/4-inch or less) long strips to tie the tamales. Then take a corn husk and spread it out length-wise on your workspace with the shorter width at the bottom and the wider width at the top. Using about a tablespoon of the masa harina dough, form the dough into an egg shape. Place that down in the middle of the husk. Add a tablespoon of the cumin tomato sauce and anything else you are using.
Begin folding the corn husk around the filling by folding the bottom up. Then fold each of the length sides into the middle, sealing in the filling completely. Help your mini-chef tie one corn husk strip around the top, creating a neat little package. If you are at all worried about the filling falling out, you can always use another strip and tie it around the middle of the tamale for extra insurance.
Big Person: Place the tamales in the prepared pot and steam for about 30 minutes. When they are cooked, take them out of the steamer using tongs and place them onto a platter. To eat, either untie the corn husk strips or using a small knife, make a slit length-wise right through the corn husk, exposing the filling. Be careful if they are very hot since steam will escape when you open the tamales up. Enjoy!
