Cassava Tamales
When I was younger I remember my mom ordering tamales because she knew I loved the masa. She always gave me a little just to make me super happy and not enough to effect my protein allowance for the day. Being older I want tamales, but masa is high in protein for a little amount. I figured I use cassava for a lot of recipes so why not try cassava flour for a tamale?
When making this recipe you want to choose between two options, corn husk or banana leaves. If you choose the corn husk make sure you oil the husk before you spread the masa on it (Depending on the amount you put it might have a coconut taste). If you choose the banana leaves you won’t have the same look as a regular tamale because it will be smoother on the outside but you won’t have to worry about oiling the leaf itself.
Another thing to note is: this is not traditional tamales. If you want to have the texture of an actual tamale then make sure you let it cool down completely (sometimes overnight) and heat it at either a low heat or wrap it in a wet paper towel and heat it for 10 second increments in the microwave. If you let it cook completely you will have a gummy texture and that’s not what you want (Even though you can still eat it like that and it tastes good.) You can always use your sauce to keep the tamale hot. Just be cautious, it gets hot!
I’ve had this recipe sitting in my drafts for over a year because I’ve been changing the recipe so much. There’s so many ways to make this and I can’t wait to share the other ways with you! The original recipe I made had a higher calorie count so let me know if you would like that one.
Ingredients
- 7 Corn Husks (Have extra just in case)
- 7 Banana Leaves (Have extra just in case)
- 100 Grams Jarred Roasted Red Bell Peppers
- 1.25 Cups Cassava Flour
- 2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 2 Tbs Coconut Oil
- 1 Cup Water
- Salt
- 1/2 Cup of Shredded Vegan Cheese or you can use the Daiya Cheese Sticks
- OPTIONAL: Jalapeños (Add to Phe/Protein count)
Directions
- Before you do anything you want to make sure you soak the corn husks in water for 30-60 minutes or prepare your banana leaves by washing and trimming them down.
- Cut up your cheese sticks, if you are using shreds then skip this step.
- Take the roasted bell peppers and blend it until it is smooth.
- In a bowl add in all the dry ingredients and then add in the liquids, the coconut oil, water, and the roasted bell pepper. Mix it all together.
- Assembly: Take the husk and spread it open. Scoop 1/4 cup of the masa onto the husk/leaf. You want to leave the pointy end of the husk empty and have the top covered with masa. Spread the masa evenly and then add your filling, I put cheese and jalapenos.
- To wrap the tamale fold in the sides (one at a time) and then fold the bottom upwards.
- Fill the bottom of the pot with water and put a steamer in. (You might have a steamer, maybe the metal steamers that go inside your pot. Whatever you use to steam, use it.) Make sure you place the tamales standing up right and then steam it for 30-45 minutes.
NOTE: I count free foods so make sure to plug in your foods for accurate nutrition values.
Note: This was calculated with Lifesum.