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Tamal tolimense
Tamal tolimense: Tolima's banana-leaf tamal of corn dough, pork, chicken, egg, rice and yellow peas
Ibagué and the towns of Tolima make the most generous tamal in Colombia, and on Sunday mornings it is unwrapped at the table with hot chocolate, a slab of bread or arepa and a cup of black coffee. Inside the double banana-leaf wrapping sits a soft, achiote-tinted corn dough layered with rice, yellow peas, carrot, potato, a hard-boiled egg and chunks of pork rib, pork belly and chicken that cook through during the long steam. Expect a savoury, moist parcel that smells of the leaves; plus overnight soaking for the dried peas and marinating the meat. It is weekend project food, best made with friends on a production line. A frequent failure is a loose wrap: water gets in and the dough turns soggy, so fold tightly and tie firmly in a cross. Chef's tip: steam a test tamal first or check one after 3 hours; the meat inside must be cooked through, and if the dough still sticks to the leaf, give the batch 20 minutes more.
- Total time
- 320 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the filling
For the dough
For wrapping
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Method
0/12 doneStep 1: Mix 6 spring onions, 5 garlic cloves, 1 ½ tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp ground achiote (annatto) and 2 ⅛ tsp salt into a paste. Rub it over 1 ⅓ lb pork ribs, 10 ½ oz pork belly and 4 boneless chicken thighs, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
10 minStep 2: Drain 5 ½ oz dried yellow peas, cover with fresh water in a pan and simmer for 30 minutes, until tender but not falling apart. Drain.
30 minStep 3: Boil 5 ½ oz long-grain rice in plenty of salted water for 8 minutes, until half-cooked with a firm centre. Drain and cool.
10 minStep 4: Hard-boil 4 eggs for 10 minutes, cool in cold water, peel and cut each into 4 slices lengthways.
12 minStep 5: Parboil 2 carrots and 2 potatoes together for 5 minutes, until just beginning to soften. Drain.
5 minStep 6: Wipe the banana leaves clean and pass each one quickly over a gas flame or through boiling water for a few seconds, until it turns glossy and pliable. Trim off the hard central ribs.
15 minStep 7: Make the dough: put 1 ⅛ lb precooked yellow cornmeal (masarepa) and ⅞ tsp salt in a large bowl, add 2 ⅞ oz lard or sunflower oil and work in 3 ¾ cups chicken or pork broth a little at a time, kneading for 3–4 minutes until soft, smooth and slightly sticky, like thick mashed potato.
8 minStep 8: Lay 2 leaves crosswise, shiny side up. Spread 1/8 of the dough into a 15 cm circle in the centre. Top with a spoonful each of rice and peas, 2 slices of egg, a few carrot and potato slices, a piece of rib, a piece of belly and a piece of chicken, plus a little of their marinade.
25 minStep 9: Fold the leaves up around the filling into a square parcel, pressing the dough to enclose the filling, and tie it firmly in both directions with 8 m kitchen string. Repeat with the rest of the 16 banana leaves and filling.
20 minStep 10: Put a rack or a layer of spare leaves in the bottom of a large pot and add water to just below it. Stand the tamales upright, cover tightly and bring to the boil over a high heat.
10 minStep 11: Steam over a medium-low heat for 3 hours, topping up with boiling water every 45 minutes so the pot never boils dry.
180 minStep 12: Open one tamal: the dough should come cleanly off the leaf and the chicken inside must read 165°F, the pork at least 160°F. Steam 20 minutes longer if not. Rest for 10 minutes before serving. Cooked tamales keep for 4 days in the fridge; steam for 30 minutes to reheat until piping hot.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tamal tolimense take?
- About 320 minutes in total: 120 minutes to prepare and 200 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 spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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