Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo. I wrote a post called "Cinco De Mayo/Mother's Day" two years ago. Well, I want to share a recipe that I whipped up yesterday.
There are probably a million recipes for masa dough online, most containing lard and chicken broth. There are some Vegetarian ones out there too, often using corn oil or coconut oil and water (I tried one Vegetarian recipe and it was SO dry). This is my adaptation of a more traditional recipe (though I DO use an electric mixer, lol).
Other recipes for Jackfruit tamales that I've seen call for making your own seasoned sauce and adding it to canned Jackfruit in brine. You could go that route (here's a recipe, if you wish to try). But I went with something much more simple: preseasoned Jackfruit from The Jackfruit Company (I reviewed some of their products a while back, as you may recall).
Without further preamble, on to the recipe!
2C masa flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Frontier Vegetarian "chicken" broth powder
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/3C vegetable shortening
2 C broth (water with 1/2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce and 1 T Frontier Vegetarian "chicken" broth powder mixed in)
1 pkg The JackFruit Company Tex-Mex Jackfruit
Corn husks
Tear a couple corn husks into strips for tying. You'll need at least 20, just in case. Soak the strips and 15 corn husks until pliable (at least half hour in warm water, or 24 hours in cold water in the fridge).
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Add the shortening. Using an electric mixer on low, beat the shortening into the masa until thoroughly blended. Add 1 C of the broth and continue beating until a soft dough forms, adding more broth as needed.
Open up the Jackfruit and pour into a bowl. Tear into shreds using a fork or your fingers.
Place a steamer basket into a large pot with a lid (I use my pressure cooker, but with a glass lid that fits perfectly). Meanwhile, start some water boiling in another pot.
Pat the corn husks dry.
Spread a small amount of the masa dough in the middle of each husk. I can't tell you exact amounts, because corn husks vary widely in size. Make sure to spread more to the sides than up or down, and do not go to the edges. You want the dough about 1/8 inch thick.
Put a small amount of Jackfruit down the center of the dough (again, amounts will vary depending on the size of the husk). Fold one side in, then the other. Then fold the top down and the bottom up. Use one of the strips to tie the husk into a parcel (if the top of the husk pops loose, use a second tie on it).
Place each parcel into the steamer basket, trying to get them as upright as possible. Once all the dough and filling is used up, carefully pour the boiling water into the pot. You want it to stay below the steamer basket, DO NOT let the water touch the tamales. Cover with the lid and place over low heat to steam. Cook for an hour (adding more boiling water if necessary).
Unwrap, and enjoy! I like to top mine with sour cream and salsa. I had mine yesterday with some cilantro lime rice (I use dried cilantro, lol). But you can serve them with Mexican rice, refried, beans, Nopales salad, or whatever else you like. And to round out, why not add a dessert like Bunuelos (Vegan version here), Churros (Vegan version here), or Flan (Vegan version[!] here)?
If you have extra, you can always freeze them after cooking (leave them wrapped). Here's more information on how to freeze (and reheat) them.
Well, that's it for now. Until next time....