Vegan Tamales Recipe (Grandma's Authentic Mexican Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What can I substitute for lard in tamales? ›

Vegetable shortening is a meat-free and dairy-free substitute for lard, allowing you to serve tamales to meat eaters and vegans alike. That said, there are other substitutes for lard that will work well in tamale recipes as well, like refined coconut oil, butter, and avocado oil.

Baking powder prevents the tamales chewiness rise caused by a decrease in fat content. At a high fat content, baking powder does not cause major changes in tamales texture. In the absence of fat, the leavening agent causes a desirable tamales texture.

What Are Tamales Made Of? These tamales consist of a seasoned pork filling in a masa harina dough wrapped in dried corn husks. The finished tamales are topped with a homemade chile sauce.

Pre-Hispanic tamales were moistened with avocado or other plant oils, since the Spanish conquistadors had yet to import the pig. For the Aztecs, tamales were filled with available plants and animals such as turkey, frog, salamander, fruit, squash, or beans.

Crisco Shortening : This vegetable shortening is made from a blend of organic palm oil and soybean oil, providing the best substitute for lard. It is ideal for making flaky pie crusts and other baked goods and also contains absolutely no trans fats.

Butter. Butter may be the simplest substitute for lard. With some minor modifications to your recipe, butter can help retain the taste and texture of your final product. This makes butter a great option for pie crusts, tortillas, tamale dough, and more.

Masa for tamales can be made with or without baking powder. It helps the dough rise and it gives tamales a lighter texture. This past year I had an opportunity to eat authentic tamales from two different tamaleras. Tamalera #1 made big beautifully shaped tamales that had a cake-like texture.

TAMALES RECIPE INGREDIENTS: 4 lbs. masa blanca (white corn) 1 ½ lbs. shorting or lard for more flavor 1 ½ lbs.

Rule of thumb is 1 pound of lard per 5 pounds masa. So, that'd mean 2 pounds should suffice for 10 pounds. Don't forget to add in hot broth to help the lard mix in with the masa, and salt to taste.

One of the most common mistakes we've experienced with making tamales is having corn husks that are not soft enough to maneuver, fold, and seal. In order to have a husk that doesn't split and can be easily sealed together, you'll need to make sure to fully submerge your corn husks before you start filling and wrapping.

What are vegetarian tamales made of? ›

In a food processor blend corn and cheese until corn is in nearly a meal consistency. Add butter, Masa flour, salt, sugar, pepper and baking powder and process until the mixture is loosely mixed. Add broth and mix until just smooth. Place about 2 tbsp of mixture into soaked corn husk or parchment paper.

Olives with the pit is tradition for a lot of Mexican tamales. It actually symbolizes the unborn baby Jesus in the Virgin Mary's womb. This is also why you can find these tamales around the holidays.

Mayans often had tamale fillings of squash, iguana, deer, bean and fish. Mayans would also create designs on the tamales and use the heart of a deer for special occasions, such as big feasts or festivals. As time progressed, so did the tamale recipe, eventually evolving into the varieties we all enjoy today.

Aztec staple foods included maize, beans and squash to which were often added chilis, nopales and tomatoes, all prominent parts of the Mexican diet to this day.

Cuba. These tamales are usually a lot smaller than a traditional Mexican tamale, filled with garlic and tomato paste. Cuban tamales feature seasoning and fried pork that is evenly distributed throughout the corn masa and are usually not served with any form of sauce.

If you can use a mixer and spread peanut butter onto a slice of bread, you can make tamales! The fluffy, foolproof masa dough is made with corn oil instead of lard, can be filled with chicken, beef, pork, beans and cheese or vegetables (filling ideas provided), and cooked on the stovetop or in the instant pot.

Masa for Tamales using oil instead of lard. I used olive oil, but you can also use canola oil or vegetable oil. 👍🏼 This is an easy recipe and the tamales come out delicious!

🙂 The masa will have a strong, very distinct olive oil flavor. You can also use canola oil or grapeseed oil. Some people have used coconut oil. Note: If you are using coconut oil, you need to melt it slightly before adding to the mixture.

But if the butter you use is lighter in color and not a strong butter taste then it'll work just fine. In my recipe here I'm using shortening.