I love tamales! The number of different types of tamales there are is about the same as the number of people who make them. The most traditional fillings are pork or chicken and they are usually topped with either a red or a green sauce. During Christmas time it is traditional to add raisins and nuts to the meat filling for a kind of sweet/spicy filling. Vegetarians can use roasted eggplant or squash or other “meaty” vegetables as a base for their filling. Usually people start out by making a whole roast or chicken and shredding the meat to make a big batch; sharing tamales with your neighbors and friends is also a tradition during the holidays. This can turn into an all day affair; why not invite some friends and family and make it an event! The recipe I give below for the Tamale Dough is enough to make dozens of tamales, but you can also cut the recipe in half or even quarter it and use left overs to make the filling.
I am attaching links to Wikipedia which has a very interesting article about the history of tamales, to about.com which has a number of different fillings you can try, and lastly I have embedded a youtube video. The little girl who is narrating is adorable and the music in the background is great!
Let me hear from you with your tamale making traditions, stories or recipes.
Tamale Dough
6 cups Masa
5 cups water
1 ½ cup shortening
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 ½ tsp salt
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