Vegan Tamales with Chili Lime Jackfruit Carnitas
This delicious chili lime jackfruit carnitas vegan tamales taste better than the traditional version and are whole food plant-based.
Equipment
Ingredients
Red Chile Sauce
- 4 oz New Mexican Red Chiles or Guajillo Chiles
- 4 Arbol chiles optional, heats it up a bit
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 1 cup Onion chopped
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Chili Lime Jackfruit Carnitas
- 2 14oz cans Jackfruit young green, there's a difference!
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1/4 cup Jalapeno chopped
- 1/2 cup Onion diced
- 4 tbsp Lime juice or two fresh limes, preferred
- 2 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 4oz can Diced green chiles with their liquid
- 1/2 tbsp Chile powder
- 1/2 tbsp Cumin
- 1/2 tbsp Paprika
- 2 tbsp Fresh cilantro optional, or sub 2 tsp dried
The Masa
- 2 cups Masa tamal corn flour la groceria, or international section of grocery store
- 2 cups Vegetable broth
- 1/2 can Corn or 7.5 oz frozen corn steamed
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 2 tbsp Chile sauce the stuff you will make in the first steps!
- 1 pkg Dried corn husks or pull them off of 4-6 ears of corn!
Instructions
Corn Husks
- If you have dried corn husks, soak them in hot water. Place a plate over them so they are completely submerged, and let them soak for at least an hour.
- If you do not have dried husks, you can cut the ends off the top inch or two of 4-6 fresh corn husks and then gently pull those off the corn.
- If you use fresh corn husks, they are easier to work with (more pliable) if you blanch them for a minute.
Red Chile Sauce
- To make the sauce, deseed the chiles* and place them and two cups of water into a small pot.
- Add the cumin, oregano, and salt.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and let cook for about 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a seperate pan saute the chopped onion and garlic in a little oil until onion is translucent.
- Place the chiles with their liquid, garlic, and onion in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
Chile Lime Jackfruit Carnita Filling
- Drain the jackfruit. Cut out the core of the jackfruit and dice, if not already diced in the can.
- Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the jackfruit, onion, garlic, and jalapeno and cook until jackfruit begins to brown and onion is translucent.
- Add the lime juice, soy sauce, diced green chiles with their liquid, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and cilantro.
- Simmer for 20 minutes or until jackfruit begins to break down and the sauce has thickened a bit.
- Use a fork to shred the jackfruit, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
The Masa Dough
- Drain the corn and add it to a blender. Puree on high until as smooth as possible (mine had some little chunks). You may need to add 1-2 Tbs of water to get it started.
- Add the corn to a mixing bowl. Add Baking Powder, Salt, Garlic Powder, and 2 Tbs of the prepared red chile sauce. Mix well.
- Slowly add 1 cup of the masa corn flour and mix. Add 1 cup of vegetable broth to thin and mix. Repeat with another cup of corn flour and broth.
- Masa should have the consistency of peanut butter or a thick pancake batter. If it's too thin, add a little more corn flour.
- Prepare your steamer or pressure cooker by filling the bottom with water just up to the trivet. Cover with corn husks or a cheese cloth if necessary to prevent tamales from falling through. This is highly recommended, they fell through in my pressure cooker the first time!
- Take 3-4 smaller Corn Husks and rip them into long strings to be used as ties.
Tamale Assembly
- Take a large corn husk and lay it down in front of you, smooth side up.
- Spread 2 Tbs of masa in the center of the Husk leaving the edges clear as well as the bottom 2-3" about a quarter inch thick.
- Lay about 2 tsp of jackfruit carnita filling down the middle of the masa and gently roll one side over and under the other side (like wrapping a burrito). Wrap the husk around and fold the bottom up to seal. Secure with a corn husk tie. This is important as they will fall apart without the tie. Leave the top open.
- Place assembled Tamale in Steamer Pot vertically around the perimeter and repeat around and into the center until the pot is filled.
- Attach the lid and steam for 45 minutes or until masa is cooked through. Instant Pot users make sure your lid is set to sealing and use the steam feature.
- Tamales should be somewhat firm when they are finished. They become firmer as they cool. Unwrap, top with red chili sauce, and enjoy!
Notes
*Deseeding the chilies
I tried this without deseeding the first time and the food processor does not break up the seeds well. It's a pain in the butt but you have to deseed the chiles or make the sauce thinner so you can filter them out. I deseeded them by breaking the end off each dried chili and slapping the open end against my cutting board. Most of them will just spill out. You can make a cut down the center of the chili and scratch most of the rest out. I wouldn't worry about getting every seed out.
For a sweeter tamale sauce alternative - try this Chile Apricot Chamoy recipe!
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Tamales with Chili Lime Jackfruit Carnitas
Amount per Serving
Calories
104
% Daily Value*
Fat
0.8
g
1
%
Saturated Fat
0.1
g
1
%
Sodium
167
mg
7
%
Potassium
135
mg
4
%
Carbohydrates
23.2
g
8
%
Fiber
2.1
g
9
%
Sugar
2.7
g
3
%
Protein
2.2
g
4
%
Calcium
32
mg
3
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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