Vegan Tamales

Vegan Tamales are a flavorful addition to your holiday menu, served as a main or a side, these easy-to-prepare tamales will be a huge hit.

They are similar to Jamaican Blue Draws.

Today I made a second batch using corn husks and a little modification of the filling and the results were so delicious. My hubby who doesn’t love tamales couldn’t have enough of these.

To be honest, all the tamales I have tasted in the past were very bland and tasteless but I must say these are the best tamales ever.

See, Vegan Pumpkin Stuffed Shells, Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers, and Chickpea Tacos

These cute parcels of tamales are incredibly tasty, and filling, served with vegan sour cream and salsa, this tamales recipe is a definite game-changer, everyone will love them. They are vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.

Cornhusks can be purchased at your local health food stores, or online on Amazon.

What Is A Tamale?

Tamales are a traditional meal in Mexico, that is made with corn dough. Tamales are traditionally stuffed with seasoned meat, beans, and cheese, wrapped with corn husks, and steamed or baked. 

For a vegan version, we made the dough using organic Masa Harina.

I used vegan butter to replace the lard used in traditional recipes, you can substitute it with olive, coconut, or avocado oil.  I added corn kernels to the dough and nutritional yeast flakes to give the dough that buttery taste. 

For the filling, we prepared a savory seasoned lentil cooked until all the liquids evaporated and you are left with thick well-flavored cooked lentils, remove bay leaves, we used store-bought shredded cheddar cheese but my Vegan Cheddar Cheese or Vegan PepperJack Cheese would be perfect.

How To Make Tamales?

Learn how to make homemade tamales with the easy steps listed below.

Prepare The Filling

1. Place corn husks in a bowl of warm water and soak for 30 minutes. Add weights to keep the husks beneath the water.
2. Sort lentils removing debris, rinse under cold water, drain and add to a medium saucepan. Add vegetable broth, and bay leaves, and bring to a boil.
3. Cover the saucepan and reduce to simmer lentils for about 20 minutes.
4. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, green onion, basil, chili powder, maple syrup, and salt, bring to a simmer, and allow to cook for another 20 minutes or until lentils are cooked and the sauce is thick and liquid evaporated.
5. Remove from heat and set aside, in the meantime, prepare the dough.

Prepare the Dough

1. Add Masa Harina, nutritional yeast flakes, cumin, baking powder, and salt, in a large bowl or a food processor. Mix to fully combine or process if using a food processor.
2. Add vegan butter, if using your hand, mix until it resembles breadcrumbs or process in the food processor until the dry mix looks crumbly.
3. Add vegetable broth, and form into a dough using your hands, make sure the dough is moist and slightly sticky, if using a food processor, mix for about a minute until a smooth dough is formed, stir in the corn kernels. 

How To Wrap Tamales

1. Take a cornhusk, drain it and tear it into 15 thin strips and set it aside for wrapping the tamales. Remove a corn husk from the water, shake off excess water, and lay the corn husk on a cutting board, with the shiny side facing up and the wider end at the top.
2. Add a large heaping tablespoon of dough to the center, and flatten the dough to form a round disk using the back of a spoon or hand.
3. Add a spoonful of lentils, topped with vegan shredded cheese. Fold both ends of the corn husks up towards the center, this will cause the dough to cover the filling. Fold tamal into a cone with a tapered end, at the base fold it upwards, take the strip of the cornhusk, and tie the folded end into a knot. Repeat until all the tamales are done.
4. Add a steamer basket to a large pot, add enough water just below the base of the steamer, and make sure water will not be touching the tamales Bring water to a boil.
5. Add tamales to the steamer basket, cover, and steam tamales for about 40 minutes. 
6. Remove the steamer basket, tamales get firmer as they cool, remove corn husks and serve tamales topped with vegan sour cream and salsa.

How To Make Tamales Without Corn Husks

1. You can use parchment paper or foil paper as a substitute for corn husks.
2. Cut out parchment paper about 4 inches wide, add dough in the center and flatten. Place filling in the center. 
3. Fold the edges to the middle to cover the dough over the filling. Fold edges along the center and wrap edges at both ends.
4. Wrap it in foil paper and place it into the steamer. 

Can You Freeze Your Vegan Tamales?

Yes, tamales can be frozen, you can freeze the wrapped uncooked, or steamed tamales. Place them into a freezer bag or container. Place them into the freezer for up to 6 months.

How To Reheat Vegan Tamales?

Thaw tamales in the refrigerator and steam them in a steaming basket.  Bake tamales in the oven for 20-30 minutes preheated at 350 degrees F.

Other Amazing Recipes To Try

1. Venezuelan Arepas
2. Vegan Pupusa Recipe
3. Jamaican Lentil Patties (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
4. Easy Black Bean Enchiladas
5. Gluten-Free Flatbread

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