Vegan Salvadoran Tamales

Ingredients
3 tomatoes
5 carrots
1 large onion
1 cup Earth Balance
adobo seasoning
basil
salt & pepper
cumin
oregano
parsley
10 cups of water
masa flour
tamale fillings
Plantain "banana" leaves
Aluminum foil

Makes approximately 2 dozen tamales
Total time: 3 hours


Process the onion, carrots, and tomatoes in a food processor.

Add the pureed mixture to 10 cups of water in a large pot. Add the Earth Balance, adobo seasoning, basil, salt & pepper, cumin, oregano, and parsley and heat until the Earth Balance has melted. The amounts of each seasoning should be based on your taste preference. Use adobo seasoning sparingly.



Pour warmed mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the masa flour until mixture is a thick, but pourable consistency.



Pour the masa dough back into the large pot and cook over medium heat for ten minutes. Make sure to stir often so dough does not stick or burn to the pot.



Now the dough is ready to be rolled into tamales. Rip a piece of "banana" leaf that is 6-8 inches wide and 10+ inches long. Lay the banana leaf on top of a larger piece of aluminum foil. Use approximately 1/2 cup of masa dough and spread it thickly over the middle section of the banana leaf. Add a generous amount of filling (we used re-fried black beans, cilantro tomatillo salsa, spinach and seasoned crumbled-tempeh)



Roll the filling inside the "banana" leaf first, then secure the tamale by rolling it up inside the aluminum foil and folding in the edges. The finished tamale should look like this:

Pack the tamales upright (vertical) in a large steamer pot. Steam them for at least 90 minutes, making sure to check the water level periodically. Wait for at least 30 minutes before eating. Finished tamales should be eaten within a week, but can also be frozen to enjoy later.