EVERYDAY CHIPOTLE-VEGETABLE TAMALES (vegan)

Serves 6-8
1 hour 25 minutes for assembling and steaming
(I disagree... I'd say allot at least two hours for this whole process. Enlist friends. Bring Dos Equis)



Ingredients:
2 6-ounce packages corn husks

Tamale dough:
4 cups masa harina corn flour
4 cups vegetable broth or equivalent prepared vegetable bouillon, warmed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup olive or good-quality, unrefined corn oil

Chipotle bean filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced small
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
1 (15 oz.) can pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen (or fresh! I use fresh whenever possible... makes a world of difference) corn kernels
¼ cup vegetable broth (I typically forget this part... but it seems like a good idea)
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced, plus 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce
(use a 7-oz. can of chipotles in adobo sauce for this)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt or to taste

Preparation:

Place the corn husks in a large pot (no need to separate them just yet). Cover them completely with warm water and allow to soak for at least 20 minutes until they are soft and pliable. Keep covered in water the entire time the recipe is prepared, until ready to use.

Prepare the tamale dough:
In a large bowl, combine the masa harina, broth, salt, baking powder, and oil. With an electric hand mixer, beat until a dense, moist, fluffy dough forms and the sides of the bowl are clean. Cover the bowl containing the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set aside.

Prepare the filling:
In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the pepper and carrot, and sauté for 3 minutes, then add beans, corn, broth, chipotles (the more chipotles and sauce the hotter) and adobo sauce, tomato paste, and cumin. Saute and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates, about 5-7 minutes. Salt to taste and allow to cool before assembling tamales.

To assemble:
Depending on the size of the corn husks, you will need to use 1-2 husks per tamale. There are a billion ways to wrap a tamale; we like this way since it’s simple and makes super cute traditional tamale shapes:

Take a corn husk and lay it flat; spread about 1 tablespoon of dough off center, leaving a 1 ½ inch margin from the top and bottom of the husk. Spread 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center of the dough, then top with about ½ to 1 tablespoon more of dough (stick closer to ½). Carefully roll up the tamale, making sure to completely encase the filling in the corn husk. Tie both ends securely with either heavy-duty kitchen string, or simply tear a corn husk lengthwise into thin strips and use that. (I do this differently. I fold my tamales into little squares like I'm wrapping a present. This seems easier to me- I'll show you over Christmas if you need more instructions)

Loosely pack the tamales into a large steamer basket. Steam for 35-40 minutes. The tamales will expand and feel firm to the touch when done. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before serving (they will be really hot when unwrapped!). Serve with your favorite salsa and guacamole or make a whole extra steamy affair out of it and serve with sides of rice and beans.