Every Christmas my great grandmother (whom I was blessed to have met before she went to be with the Lord) would make tamales for the family, then my grandmother, and my own mother even picked up the tradition! So you know I was surrounded by good food all the time 🙂
Now it’s my turn! But I did a twist on the original which calls for masa (ground corn) and shredded beef / pork to make my version IBS friendly and easy to digest!
Read HERE why I stay away from pork all together.
Oh! But you’re vegan? No worries! See the notes below for some easy swaps!
Items you’ll need:
a package of corn husks (found at any grocery store during December or you can buy online)
a high speed blender (such as a Vitamix)
For the “masa”
4 cups water
2 cups chickpea flour
For the filling
1 lb of  cooked ground meat (beef, turkey, or chicken)
*vegans sub with cooked lentils or mushrooms
**Option to add olives, cheese, salsa, seasonings of choice to taste
Method:
1. Boil 4 cups of water in a large pot.
2. Meanwhile, blend the cooked meat until pureed down (if you are using lentils or another vegan alternative, no need to puree your filling). Transfer pureed meat into a bowl and set aside and rinse blender.
3. Add 2 cups of chickpea flour to the rinsed blender and add the hot water to the blender. Blend until smooth and no lumps are present. Transfer back to the pot and simmer over low heat while stirring often to avoid lumps. This will make the mixture thicken.
4. While “masa” is simmering, lay out your corn husks on a baking sheet or flat surface (you may need to overlap them if they are not wide enough for one tamale)
5. Once “masa” has thickened, pour mixture onto corn husks, then fill with pureed meat or whatever filling you are using (including additional ingredients, see **note above) Wrap up and place in refrigerator if planning to eat later or serve as is. You can steam them to warm them up whenever you are ready to enjoy or just eat cold!
Top with guacamole, greek yogurt, salsa, or whatever you prefer!
