Place corn husks in a dish and cover with boiling water to soak and soften.
Fill a steamer pot with at least 3 inches of water. The steamer pot should be tall enough for the tamales to stand while steaming and large enough around to hold all the tamales standing upright loosely next to each other.
Finely mince garlic and chipotle pepper. Set aside.
Dice onion and add to a medium saute pan and saute over medium-low heat until onions are clear and beginning to brown. Add a tablespoon or two of vegetable broth or water to prevent sticking.
Add garlic, chipotle pepper, cumin, oregano, salt and one of the cans of black beans including the bean liquid.
Cook for two minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat and add to a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, adding a few tablespoons of vegetable broth or water.
Pour pureed beans back into saute pan. Add second can of beans. Cook for two minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place steamer pot over medium high heat.
Add masa harina, salt, baking powder, pumpkin and vegetable broth to a bowl. Mix together adding more vegetable broth, if necessary to make a thick, but light mixture.
Lay one corn husk on a work surface with the smallest edge towards you. Starting with about 1/4 cup, add a scoop of the masa harina mixture to the middle of the corn husk.
Spread the mixture into about a 4 inch square leaving about a two inch border along the bottom of the corn husk and 1/2 inch along the top. You will also need a border of corn husk on the sides so if your corn husk is small use two. Add more mixture as needed to fill the corn husk with filling about 1/4 inch thick.
In the middle of the masa harina, add about two tablespoons of black bean filling in a line from the top of the filling to the bottom.
To fold the tamales:
Fold one side across the filling
Fold up the bottom
Fold over the remaining side
Leave the top open
Tie tamales closed across the middle with a bit of corn husk or kitchen twine.
Bring steamer water to a boil.
Stand tamales upright in the steamer. Cover steamer with a lid.
Steam tamales for about 45 minutes. They are done when the masa harina has firmed up and pulls cleanly away from the corn husk.
To serve, remove from corn husks. Top with fresh salsa, avocado and cashew sour cream. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Ingredients
Directions
Place corn husks in a dish and cover with boiling water to soak and soften.
Fill a steamer pot with at least 3 inches of water. The steamer pot should be tall enough for the tamales to stand while steaming and large enough around to hold all the tamales standing upright loosely next to each other.
Finely mince garlic and chipotle pepper. Set aside.
Dice onion and add to a medium saute pan and saute over medium-low heat until onions are clear and beginning to brown. Add a tablespoon or two of vegetable broth or water to prevent sticking.
Add garlic, chipotle pepper, cumin, oregano, salt and one of the cans of black beans including the bean liquid.
Cook for two minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat and add to a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, adding a few tablespoons of vegetable broth or water.
Pour pureed beans back into saute pan. Add second can of beans. Cook for two minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place steamer pot over medium high heat.
Add masa harina, salt, baking powder, pumpkin and vegetable broth to a bowl. Mix together adding more vegetable broth, if necessary to make a thick, but light mixture.
Lay one corn husk on a work surface with the smallest edge towards you. Starting with about 1/4 cup, add a scoop of the masa harina mixture to the middle of the corn husk.
Spread the mixture into about a 4 inch square leaving about a two inch border along the bottom of the corn husk and 1/2 inch along the top. You will also need a border of corn husk on the sides so if your corn husk is small use two. Add more mixture as needed to fill the corn husk with filling about 1/4 inch thick.
In the middle of the masa harina, add about two tablespoons of black bean filling in a line from the top of the filling to the bottom.
To fold the tamales:
Fold one side across the filling
Fold up the bottom
Fold over the remaining side
Leave the top open
Tie tamales closed across the middle with a bit of corn husk or kitchen twine.
Bring steamer water to a boil.
Stand tamales upright in the steamer. Cover steamer with a lid.
Steam tamales for about 45 minutes. They are done when the masa harina has firmed up and pulls cleanly away from the corn husk.
To serve, remove from corn husks. Top with fresh salsa, avocado and cashew sour cream. Garnish with cilantro leaves.