My fiancé is Honduran, and no Christmas is complete without tamales Hondureños. These aren't your regular tamales, there's more to 'em.
Ingredients
- masa harina (such as Maseca®): 1 pack (4 pound pack, divided)
- tomato: 1 piece (chopped)
- green bell pepper: 1 piece (chopped)
- onion: 1 piece (chopped)
- fresh cilantro: 1 cup (chopped)
- ground cumin: 0.25 cup
- cubes chicken bouillon: 2 piece
- salt: (to taste)
- tomato paste: 1 can (6 ounce can)
- vegetable oil: 3 cups (to taste)
- banana leaves: 30 piece
- ½ pounds cubed cooked pork: 3 piece
- potatoes: 3 piece (cubed)
- white rice: 2 cups (cooked)
- peas: 1 can (15 ounce can, drained)
- kitchen twine:
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Pour about 3/4 of the masa harina into a large pot. Add water in batches, mixing until a moderately thin batter forms.
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Combine tomato, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, cumin, and bouillon in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into the pot with the batter and season with salt. Pour about 5 cups of this combined mixture into a smaller pot; add tomato paste and stir until it is an even red color.
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Pour 2 cups oil into the large pot of batter; pour remaining 1 cup oil into the smaller pot of red batter. Bring both pots to a boil, stirring continuously to prevent burning. Cook until flavors set, 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove from heat.
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Cut banana leaves into 12x15-inch rectangles. Spoon 1 cup regular batter and 1/4 cup red batter into the center of each leaf. Add small amounts of pork, potatoes, rice, and peas. Fold leaf over the filling several times; fold sides in. Wrap twine around tamale to hold in place.
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Place tamales in a large pot; cover halfway with water. Cover and cook over medium heat until filling has thickened, about 1 hour.
