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Guajolota
Mexico City's 'tamal torta': a rajas-and-cheese tamal tucked inside a bolillo
Commuters in Mexico City grab a guajolota at the tamal stand by the bus stop at seven in the morning: a crusty bolillo roll split open with a whole steaming tamal pushed inside, sometimes with a smear of green salsa, eaten with a cup of atole. It is starch in starch, cheap and filling enough to last until lunch. The name means 'turkey hen', a joke about how stuffed it is. This recipe makes eight vegetarian tamales of roasted poblano strips and melting cheese (rajas con queso); four go into rolls and the rest freeze well. Shop-bought vegetarian tamales work if you are short of time. Chef's tip: warm the bolillo on the comal while the tamal rests, so the crust crackles against the soft masa.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For 8 tamales
To assemble
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Soak 10 dried corn husks in hot water for 30 minutes until soft and bendy.
30 minStep 2: Meanwhile, char 2 poblano peppers directly over a gas flame or under a hot grill, turning, for 8–10 minutes until blackened all over. Put in a bowl, cover and leave 10 minutes, then rub off the skin, remove the seeds and cut into thin strips (rajas).
10 minStep 3: Beat 3 ⅞ oz vegetable shortening with 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt for 3 minutes until white and fluffy. Add 9 oz masa harina for tamales and 1 ¼ cups warm vegetable stock a little at a time, beating for 5 more minutes, until you have a soft dough like thick hummus. Test it: a small piece dropped in a glass of cold water should float. If it sinks, beat 2 minutes more.
8 minStep 4: Pat a husk dry, smooth side up. Spread 3 tablespoons of masa over the wide half in a rectangle about 10 by 8 cm, leaving a border at the sides. Lay a few poblano strips and a strip of 4 oz Oaxaca cheese down the middle.
Step 5: Fold the long sides over so the masa wraps the filling, then fold the narrow end up. Repeat to make 8 tamales. Common mistake: spreading the masa too thick; the outside cooks before the middle sets and stays pasty.
Step 6: Set the tamales upright, open end up, in a steamer basket lined with spare husks. Steam over a medium heat, lid on, for 60–70 minutes, topping up with boiling water. They are done when a tamal peels cleanly away from its husk.
70 minStep 7: Let the tamales rest off the heat for 10 minutes to firm up. Meanwhile split 4 bolillo rolls or small crusty baguette rolls lengthways, leaving a hinge, and toast them cut side down on a dry pan for 1 minute.
10 minStep 8: Spread each roll with 1 tablespoon of 4 tbsp salsa verde, unwrap a tamal and press it inside. Eat warm. Wrap and freeze the 4 spare tamales; re-steam from frozen for 20 minutes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 610 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does guajolota take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
- What can I use instead of warm vegetable stock?
- Chicken stock, same amount (not vegetarian).
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