A few years back I ventured into the world of catering and the main item on my menu were tamales. Mia’s Tamales did pretty well, but it was work…a lot of work. I prepared my own masa and offered a variety of fillings. Hard work paid off because those tamales had a pretty hefty following. Mia’s Tamales closed it’s kitchen for good about 1 year after opening. I still make them for my family on special occasions with one simple twist…they are now vegan, which makes me happy. I like to imagine that one day I will own a small vegan cafe, where I will serve my vegan tamales and make people happy.
I’ve experimented with various fillings. Potatoes and fire roasted green chiles in spicy tomato sauce make a delicious vegan tamale. Baking the entire thing in a paella pan is genius! Plus you get a crispy edge that steamed tamales don’t have. This feeds a crowd of about 8- 10 people. You will make people happy and they will love you, if you make them a Tamal de Cazuela.
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 4 potatoes
- 8 ripe roma tomatoes
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 3 -4 jalapeno peppers
- 5 anaheim green chiles
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp oil
For the Masa
- 4 cups maseca masa harina
- 4 cups warm vegetable broth
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1 cup earth balance organic
Preparation
Step 1 – heat oven to 375 degrees; make the masa; in a mixing bowl add the 4 cups of masa harina, baking powder, salt and mix together very well using a whisk; pour in the warm broth, mix until well combined, add the 1/3 cup oil and continue to mix, cover with plastic wrap and set aside; add the earth balance to a mixer and process until soft and fluffy, add in the dough a little at a time mix for 3 minutes on high-speed until the masa resembles humus; cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Step 2 – make the filling; peel and chop the potatoes into small bite size pieces, add them to a pot, cover with water and cook until tender about 12-15 minutes, drain and set aside ; roast the anaheim chiles on a comal or skillet turning until they are charred and soft, place them in a plastic bag to sweat for 15 minutes, remove the skins, seeds and stems, slice into thin strips; chop the tomato and add them to a blender with the garlic, jalapenos, cumin, 2 tsp salt, oregano and 1/2 cup of water, blend until smooth; heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and pour in the tomato sauce, cook 15 – 20 minutes until slightly reduced; finally stir in the potatoes and chili strips.
Step 3 – I baked my tamale in a paella pan, you can use any casserole dish or a cast iron pan; lightly oil the pan or casserole dish with oil, use 2 cups of the masa for the bottom of the tamale, spread evenly with a rubber spatula; cover the bottom layer of masa with the filling, spread it out in an even layer; top the filling with the rest of the masa, it will be messy but try your best to spread the masa over the filling; no worries if the filling is showing through, rustic is what we are going for here; cover the pan or dish tightly with aluminum foil and place in a hot oven for 1 hour; after cooking time is up let it sit for 1 more hour to set. Enjoy!
-Mia
LemonVinaigrette 