Peruvian
Gluten freeTamales peruanos
Chicken corn tamales in banana leaf
Tamales criollos: Lima's Sunday-breakfast corn tamales with chicken, olive and egg, wrapped in banana leaf
In Lima, tamales are a Sunday breakfast, bought warm from street vendors calling 'tamaleeeeros' or made at home for Christmas, and eaten with crusty bread and a pile of salsa criolla. Peruvian tamales are larger and softer than Mexican ones, made from corn dough coloured with ají and wrapped in banana leaves, hiding chicken, a black olive, a slice of egg and a peanut. Peanuts are an allergen, so leave them out if needed. The usual mistake is a dry dough: the tamales turn crumbly. Beat in enough warm stock to make a soft paste that just holds its shape. The chicken must reach 74 °C before it goes in. Chef's tip: fat makes the dough tender; beat the oil and dough for a full 5 minutes until light, as Lima cooks do with pork lard.
- Prep
- 60 min
- Cook
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Serves
- 8
- Per serving
- 480 kcal
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 ⅛ lb boneless chicken thighs
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 eggshard-boiled, each cut into 4
- 8 roasted peanuts (optional)
For the dough
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 red onionvery finely chopped
- 4 garliccloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp ají amarillo paste
- 1 tbsp ají panca paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
For wrapping
- 8 banana leavesabout 30 × 30 cm each, wiped clean
- 1 kitchen stringlength
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Put 1 ⅛ lb boneless chicken thighs in a pan with 4 ¼ cups water and 1 tsp salt. Simmer for 20 minutes until cooked through to 165°F. Lift out, cut into 8 pieces and keep the stock.
20 minStep 2: Heat ¾ cup vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry 1 red onion and 4 garlic for 6 minutes until soft, then stir in 2 tbsp ají amarillo paste, 1 tbsp ají panca paste and 1 tsp ground cumin and fry for 2 minutes. Let it cool a little.
8 minStep 3: Put 1 ⅛ lb white corn masa harina (or Peruvian maíz mote flour) and the remaining 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the onion and oil mixture and about 700 ml of the warm chicken stock, a little at a time, beating hard with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes. It should be a soft, smooth paste like thick mashed potato.
5 minStep 4: Soften 8 banana leaves by passing them briefly over a flame or dipping in hot water so they bend without cracking.
Step 5: Spread about 1/8 of the dough in the centre of each leaf into a 12 cm square. Put a piece of chicken, a piece of egg, an olive and a peanut (2 eggs, 8 black olives, 8 roasted peanuts) in the middle, then cover with a little more dough.
Step 6: Fold the leaf over into a neat parcel and tie with 1 kitchen string like a gift.
Step 7: Stand the tamales on a rack in a large pan with 5 cm of boiling water, cover tightly and steam for 1½ hours, topping up with boiling water. They are done when the dough pulls away cleanly from the leaf and feels firm.
90 minStep 8: Rest for 10 minutes before opening. They keep for 3 days in the fridge; resteam for 20 minutes until piping hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tamales peruanos take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- 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 boneless chicken thighs?
- Chicken breast, same weight (cook a few minutes less so it stays juicy).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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