Last Updated on May 19, 2022 by
Green corn tamales with prepared masa rank pretty high in the long list of delicious tamales that are pretty easy to make for those who have little to no experience. And, although they do have a lot of flavor, a major reason why they’re so beloved is that they are typically vegetarian and satisfy the appetite of even the most devoted meat-eaters. So if you don’t want to stray from your diet they’re a pretty good way to go.
This recipe serves as a great introduction to the world of tamales in general, especially for those who are curious about the tamal flavor but aren’t necessarily too interested in trying the greasier varieties that are more well known precisely for having that extra flavor punch.
You can think of the green corn tamales as having more of a fresh salad flavoring that, in turn, can serve quite well as an appetizer for a larger meal.
Table of Contents
What You Will Need For Your Green Corn Tamale Recipe
Equipment
- Paper towel
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Mixing bowl
- Mixing utensil
- Steamer
- Food processor
Ingredients
- A cup of corn masa
- 3 ears of corn (with husK)
- Half a medium-sized onion (any color is fine)
- A jalapeño
- A tbsp. of baking powder
- Salt
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Take the husks
Take the husks of the corn by pulling on it in strips, taking special care to not tear them.
Step 2: Place corn in wet towel
Wet a paper towel and then place them in and fold the paper towel so that it’s closed.
Step 3: Crush corn
Use the knife to cut away the corn kernels and then throw away the center. Run them through a food processor until you get a rough, sort of shaggy mixture.
Step 4: Cut vegetables
Chop up the onion into small pieces and mince the jalapeño and garlic so that you are then able to mix them all together well, along with the corn, in the mixing bowl.
Step 5: Mix the masa
Now add the masa and baking powder with a bit of salt(the amount is totally up to you, just make sure to not put too little if you really want to set off the flavoring), and then mix it all together until you end up with a thick batter.
Step 6: Fill the batter
Now take the husks out of the paper towel and spread one out on a spacious work surface so that you’re able to fill in a decent amount of the batter that you just prepared. You should be able to cover the batter and fold them, making sure to leave one end open so that it cooks right. If you need to you can use numerous husks so that they cover the batter. The last thing that you want is to end up leaving batter hanging out. Repeat as necessary.
Step 7: Cook the tamales
Now place them in the steamer and cook them for an hour and 15 minutes. You might need to keep them in longer until they are soft and plump.
In addition to these tamales, most people enjoy them with a salsa that’s typically green from tomatillos.
Green tomatillos salsa
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Blender
- Bowl
Ingredients
- A pound and a half of tomatillos
- Half a cup each of cilantro and white onion
- 2 cloves of garlic (you can add more or not include them at all)
- A tbsp. of lime juice (the fresher the better)
- 2 japaleño or serrano peppers (you can use both if you want)
- Salt
Step 1: Take off husk
Take off as much husk as you can from the tomatillos, and rinse them well afterwards.
Step 2: Cook the tomatillos
Now put them in a saucepan and cover them with water. Heat it up so that the water boils and let them simmer in there for about 5 minutes.
Step 2: Cook the tomatillos
Open the blender and drop in the cooked tomatillos along with the chopped onions, garlic, and jalapeños.
Step 3: Serve
Then all you do is pour the contents on a small bowl and then use a small spoon so that everyone can top their tamales off with as much sauce as they please.
Tips and Tricks for Your Green Corn Tamale Recipe
You can find all kinds of recipes online for this ¨verde¨ sauce, and so it’s a good idea to check different ones out as you never know which one you’ll end up liking the most with your green corn tamales.
Remember that no tamale recipe is set in stone, and as such, you can change the proportions in accordance with your own personal preferences. For instance, if you’re really into that spiciness not only can you put in more jalapeño, but you can add in other, more intense peppers as well.
Other common additions include cheese, which is great for when you want more of a filling meal than an appetizer. For a more elaborate taste, you can also add a bit of sugar to make it more of a sweet dessert-style treat!
Read more about A Fantastic Guide On How To Make Guiso De Res
Servings and Preparation Time
Cooking Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6.
Conclusion
A lot of people find tamales to be pretty intimidating, particularly in terms of being able to make them from the comfort of their own home. More than anything, you can easily learn how to make green corn tamales just takes a bit of practice. It’s a fun experience that you can put your own personality into as you go about adjusting the recipe to please your own taste.
After all, it’s important to get both the taste and the texture right in order to really experience a tasty tamal in all its savory glory! A great idea is to try to follow this recipe with a group of people so that everyone can help to work out the best way to make a green corn tamales.
Tamales can be taken in so many directions, so if you like the taste of a good tamal you can start out with this pretty basic green corn tamales recipe that may just leave you hooked and make all kinds of tamales to celebrate different occasions!
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Green Corn Tamale Recipe and Green tomatillos salsa
Equipment
- Paper towel
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Mixing bowl
- Mixing utensil
- Steamer
- Food processor
- Saucepan
- blender
- Bowl
Ingredients
Green Corn Tamale
- 1 cup of corn masa
- 3 ears of corn with husK
- ½ medium-sized onion any color is fine
- 1 jalapeño
- 1 tbsp of baking powder
- Salt
Green tomatillos salsa
- 1½ pounds of tomatillos
- ½ cup each of cilantro and white onion
- 2 cloves of garlic you can add more or not include them at all
- 1 tbsp of lime juice the fresher the better
- 2 japaleño or serrano peppers you can use both if you want
- Salt
Instructions
Green Corn Tamale
- Take the husks. Take the husks of the corn by pulling on it in strips, taking special care to not tear them.
- Place corn in wet towel. Wet a paper towel and then place them in and fold the paper towel so that it's closed.
- Crush corn. Use the knife to cut away the corn kernels and then throw away the center. Run them through a food processor until you get a rough, sort of shaggy mixture.
- Cut vegetables. Chop up the onion into small pieces and mince the jalapeño and garlic so that you are then able to mix them all together well, along with the corn, in the mixing bowl.
- Mix the masa. Now add the masa and baking powder with a bit of salt(the amount is totally up to you, just make sure to not put too little if you really want to set off the flavoring), and then mix it all together until you end up with a thick batter.
- Fill the batter. Now take the husks out of the paper towel and spread one out on a spacious work surface so that you're able to fill in a decent amount of the batter that you just prepared. You should be able to cover the batter and fold them, making sure to leave one end open so that it cooks right. If you need to you can use numerous husks so that they cover the batter. The last thing that you want is to end up leaving batter hanging out. Repeat as necessary.
- Cook the tamales. Now place them in the steamer and cook them for an hour and 15 minutes. You might need to keep them in longer until they are soft and plump.
Green tomatillos salsa
- Take off husk. Take off as much husk as you can from the tomatillos, and rinse them well afterwards.
- Cook the tomatillos. Now put them in a saucepan and cover them with water. Heat it up so that the water boils and let them simmer in there for about 5 minutes.
- Cook the tomatillos. Open the blender and drop in the cooked tomatillos along with the chopped onions, garlic, and jalapeños.
- Serve. Then all you do is pour the contents on a small bowl and then use a small spoon so that everyone can top their tamales off with as much sauce as they please.
Notes
Tips and Tricks for Your Green Corn Tamale Recipe
You can find all kinds of recipes online for this ¨verde¨ sauce, and so it's a good idea to check different ones out as you never know which one you'll end up liking the most with your green corn tamales. Remember that no tamale recipe is set in stone, and as such, you can change the proportions in accordance with your own personal preferences. For instance, if you're really into that spiciness not only can you put in more jalapeño, but you can add in other, more intense peppers as well.
Casia is a passionate home cook who loves to share her love of Mexican food with the world. She has been cooking since she was a child, helping her grandmother in the kitchen and learning the traditional techniques used to create delicious Mexican dishes. Casia loves to experiment with new ingredients and flavors, always looking for ways to make her dishes even more flavorful. She is also passionate about teaching others about Mexican cuisine and its rich history. When she is not in the kitchen, Casia enjoys exploring new cultures, traveling, and spending time with her family.