During the holiday season, many Latin American families spend days preparing and making tamales, which traditionally feature masa or corn dough stuffed with a hearty meat stew and wrapped in banana leaves or corn husks. Although flavor profiles vary from country to country, the masa or corn dough is the common denominator that connects the diverse cultures. The choice of filling highlights the cook’s background and creativity. Take this vegan version of hallacas (Venezuelan-style tamales), for example. As an immigrant from Venezuela, I’m intimately familiar with corn dough; it’s a generational gift and a piece of my memories. That said, I love to play with the recipe for hallacas in order to share my heritage while bringing a wide range of eaters together over a meal. After all, when cultures mesh, recipes – like people – adapt and evolve.
Vegan Hallacas
Yields | 15 to 18 tamales |
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Filling
- 4 oz olive oil
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large yellow onion, small dice
- kosher salt
- 1 red bell pepper, small dice
- 1 green bell pepper, small dice
- 1 large carrot, small dice
- ½ lb shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cilantro, minced
- 1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 16-oz cans garbanzo beans, drained
- 1 15-oz can black lentils, drained
- 6 Tbsp capers, drained and minced
- 4 Tbsp dried oregano
- 4 Tbsp ground cumin
- 4 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup sweet red wine
Dough
- 2 cups olive oil
- 6 Tbsp ground achiote (annatto)
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1½ lbs precooked white cornmeal flour (This is the Venezuelan- and Colombian-style of cornmeal flour, which differs from nixtamalized Mexican-style cornmeal flour. Look for the P.A.N. brand.)
AssemblyÂ
- 4 lbs frozen banana leaves, thawed one day ahead of time
- 1 cup raisins, soaked in sweet wine
- 20 whole pimento-stuffed green olives
- 4 stalks celery, sliced
- 1 leek, thoroughly cleaned and sliced
| Preparation – Filling | In a Dutch oven or large pot set over medium heat, add oil, garlic, onion and a pinch of salt; cook until onion is translucent and soft, approximately 4 minutes. Add peppers, carrot, mushrooms, cilantro and a pinch of salt; stirring occasionally, cook until vegetables have softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; bring mixture to a simmer and cook, approximately 8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; season with salt to taste. Continue to simmer, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest at room temperature, approximately 30 minutes. Once cool, transfer filling to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
| Preparation – Dough | In a small saucepan set over low heat, warm oil and achiote. Set aside.
In a large pot set over medium heat, warm vegetable broth, sugar and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment, add flour; beat on low speed and slowly add broth. Add 1 cup achiote-infused oil; continue to mix until dough has formed (it should be moist yet firm, like cold mashed potatoes). If the dough is sticky, sprinkle in small amounts of cornmeal as you mix. If it’s too dry, add more oil until you reach the correct consistency. Reserve remaining oil. Divide dough into 15 to 18 balls, approximately 3 ounces each. Set balls on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.
| Assembly | Clear a large work space such as a dining room table. Unpack thawed banana leaves; gently spread out, unfold and wipe off any excess water. Trim and discard center stems. Cut leaves into approximately 10-by-12-inch rectangles (this is a general guide, as banana leaves tend to be uneven shapes). Place raisins, olives, celery and leek in their own bowls.
Working with one leaf at a time, brush with reserved achiote-infused oil. Place one dough ball in the center and press into a circle, approximately ¼ inch thick. Add ½ cup cold filling to the center of the dough; top with 4 raisins, 1 olive, 4 celery slices and 1 leek slice. Bring the longer sides of the leaf together and make tight folds until meeting the filling, forming a cylinder. Fold the open ends of the leaf toward the center of the tamale, overlapping the ends to form a small pocket. Place pocket fold-side down on another banana leaf; repeat wrapping process. Using kitchen twine, tie hallaca closed, making sure it’s compact. Repeat process with remaining dough balls.
Place hallacas in a large pot; cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat; simmer, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from water; place on wire racks to drain and cool completely. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to five days or in freezer for up to six months.
| To Serve | Reheat hallacas in a simmering pot of water. Once hot, remove from water. Cut twine and unfold banana leaves to expose the goodness inside. Serve hot.