AI-generated image
Guajolota
Tamal in a bread roll
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
- 10 dried corn husksplus a few extra for the steamer
- 4 oz Oaxaca cheesetorn into strips; usually made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian mozzarella if needed
- 3 ⅞ oz vegetable shorteningsoft; lard is traditional
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups warm vegetable stock
To assemble
- 4 tbsp salsa verde
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
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).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Black bean tacos with lime slaw
Proof that a meat-free taco night can be the best one. The beans are mashed with chipotle and cumin so they hold together in the tortilla, and a quick lime slaw adds crunch.
Sabudana khichdiSago with peanuts and potato
Sabudana khichdi is the dish that sees Maharashtra through every vrat (fast), from Navratri to Ekadashi, but it's so good that people eat it any day of the week. Soaked sago pearls are tossed in a pan with crushed roasted peanuts, cubes of potato, cumin and green chilli until each pearl turns glassy and separate, then finished with lemon and coriander. It's soft, chewy, nutty and gently hot. Fasting rules vary from family to family, so check yours; this version uses rock salt and no asafoetida, onion or garlic. Traditionally it's cooked in ghee; use ghee instead of oil if you aren't keeping it vegan. Chef's tip: soak the sago in just enough water to cover by the height of the pearls themselves, no more; too much water is the reason khichdi turns into one sticky lump.
Indian
Doi chiraFlattened rice with curd
Nothing is cooked for doi chira, which is why it has been the breakfast of farmers and fishermen in Barisal for generations: flattened rice is rinsed, softened in thick, slightly sour curd and sweetened with jaggery or sugar, then mashed together with a ripe banana. The texture is soft and creamy with a little chew from the rice flakes, and the taste is cool, sweet and tangy. It is eaten on hot summer mornings, at village fairs and as part of the Pohela Boishakh spread, and it is a favourite of children and of anyone fasting who wants something gentle. The usual misstep is soaking the chira for too long, which turns it to paste; a quick rinse is all it needs before the curd does the rest. Chef's tip: use thick-cut chira, not the thin kind for frying, so the flakes hold their shape.
Bangladeshi