Making tamales is really such a labor of love. They are labor intensive. You have to make the fillings, the sauces, the various masas, and then fill each one - one by one - spreading the dough on each one then adding the filling and sauce, then wrapping it and tying it. Wow! That's a lot of work and devouring the tamale takes seconds! Making tamales reminds me so much of my mom. The last time I made the plantain dough tamales, I made them for my mom. I made three kinds of masa that day about four fillings. Yet, at the end of this long day of tamale making, she says, "Next time, maybe you can make five kinds of tamales instead of three!" I haven't had a tamale making adventure like that for a long time - before I learned that I couldn't eat grains. Now, I am back to experimenting with different types of tamales. There are so many wonderful memories associated with tamales and tamale making in my family. It's a emotional and cultural thing. While I can't eat regular tamales made with corn masa, I can certainly try many others with various types of masa.
This one is a favorite of mine. The taste is delicious and the masa is incredibly simple. The only time consuming thing here is the spreading, filling, folding, and tying. Enjoy and I hope you try them!
Ingredients:
8 maduros (ripe plantains)
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
1. Place the plantains on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. The plantains should be completely black and beginning to crack open and bubble. I am posting a picture here because I had trouble the first time I made these. I had not idea what it meant to be ready or baked because I had never worked with plantains before.
2. Once they are ready, 2 at a time, place them in a food processor until and food process them - sometimes they will be like little granules, sometimes they will begin to form in a ball of dough in the food processor.
3. Add the fresh cilantro and salt.
4. Mix with your hands in a bowl.
5. Add the water a tablespoon or teaspoon at a time. I do not add very much water to this recipe. You will have to just feel it with your hands. It should be doughy and come together well. It is firm enough that you can push it with your fingers on to the plantain leaf and spread it with your fingers.
6. Make the filling
FILLING
Kale and Spinach
1 bunch of Kale, chopped
1 onion, chopped
About 10 oz of mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic
Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil
Add the kale and mushrooms (or spinach instead of kale as well)
Black Bean Filling
2 TBS olive oil
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
2 cups cooked black beans (with a little bit of the water or add water)
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped
salt
1/4 cups chopped scallions
grated cheese (optional)
Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil.
Add the black beans
Use a potato masher or whatever it's called to mash the beans
Add the chile and salt
The scallions and grated cheese are to add on top when you are filling the tamale
7. Prepare the plantain leaves. Boil them in water so that they soften and can be used without breaking.
8. Make the salsa: Blend 1 14 oz of diced tomatoes, 1 small onion quartered, 4 cloves of garlic, 20 stalks of cilantro, 2 TBSP lime juice, 2-4 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. The salsa can be used inside the tamale, or used on top of tamales when you are eating - or both!
9. Assemble the tamale - spread about a heaping TBS or two on the plantain leaf - how much you use depends on the size of banana leaf. Then add some of the chosen filling. I use two methods. This piece was large enough that I only used one leaf. I spread the dough and then folded it over and tied it with a string. The third picture below, I used a different method. I had two thinner strands of banana leaf so put them in a T shape and then spread the dough on one of them, and folded them over.
9. Steam the tamales for about an hour.
