These tamales are something special. The steps are simple but time consuming, and the end result is beautiful and delicious. Get a friend or two to help, and dive in. It’s worth the time and effort!
Tamales can be cooked in advance and frozen for later. To reheat, place in a steamer basket and steam for 15 minutes.
There are 5 parts: tamale dough, sweet potato adobo filling, salsa verde, pine nut cream, and black bean avocado mole-inspired sauce.
The best plan of action is to get the pine nuts soaking and sweet potatoes boiling first. Then make the salsa verde, tamale dough, and mole, and set them aside. By that time the pine nuts should be ready to go. Blend the pine nut cream, and at that point the sweet potatoes should be close to ready for the filling.
Makes: about 22
Takes: 2 hours
Salsa Verde:
1 lb tomatillos
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch green onions
Juice from 2 limes (about ¼ cup)
Method: Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend. Set aside in fridge.
Tamale Dough:
1 24 oz bag masa harina (or about 5 3/4 cups)
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ cup avocado oil
3 vegetable bouillon cubes dissolved in 6 cups warm water
Method: Mix dry ingredients first, then add oil. Add broth a little bit at a time until a dough forms. You can add a little bit of warm water if the mixture is too dry. Set aside.
Mole Sauce:
1 Tbsp avocado oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
1 vegetable bouillon cube dissolved in 2 cups warm water
1 can diced tomatoes
2 small or 1 large avocado
¼ cup canned or cooked black beans (set aside the rest of the can for tamale assembly)
¼ cup cacao
2 Tbsp agave
1 tsp salt
1 chipotle pepper out of a can of chipotles in adobo
Method: Heat oil over medium heat and add onion. Cook until onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add thyme, cinnamon, and allspice; cook for 1 more minute or until spices are fragrant. Add broth, bring to a boil, and simmer & reduce for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and place in a high speed blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Mixture should be pudding thick. Set aside.
Pine Nut Cream:
1.5 cup pine nuts soaked 30 mins
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp lime juice
¼ tsp salt
Method: Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Set aside in fridge
Sweet Potato Adobo Filling:
3 lb sweet potatoes
1 tsp avocado oil
1 small yellow onion
6 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1½ Tbsp adobo from a can of chipotles in adobo
1½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 cup toasted pine nuts, unsoaked & divided (½ cup goes in sweet potato mixture, and ½ cup is for final tamale assembly)
Method: Cut potatoes into cubes and boil until soft (about 30 minutes). Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent. In a small pan dry toast cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Dry toast pine nuts and set aside ½ cup. Add all ingredients except ½ cup of pine nuts to food processor and process until mostly smooth.
Tamale assembly:
Aluminum foil or parchment paper(10 inches per tamale)
String (if using parchment)
Tamale dough
Tamale filling
1¼ cup cooked black beans or the rest of the can that was used in the mole
½ cup toasted pine nuts (reserved from filling)
Method: Spread ⅓ cup dough in a thin oval on a 10 inch sheet of foil or parchment, add 3 Tbsp filling, 2 tsp black beans, and 1 heaping tsp pine nuts. Wrap foil or parchment around dough. Tie loosely with string if using parchment. See video below for foil wrapping technique.
To cook, place in a steamer basket and steam for 1 hour.
Plating:
Spread a bed of salsa verde and place tamale on top. Top tamale with alternating stripes of pine nut cream and mole. Garnish with any microgreens, herbs, colorful veggies, or edible flowers you have on hand. The one below is garnished with sunflower sprouts, cilantro, dill, and mandolined baby bell peppers & purple cabbage.
Enjoy!