Tamales, originally is a Mexican delicacy made from corn masa (a finely ground corn flour made into a dough) with chicken, pork or beef wrap in corn husk or banana leaves. Our local version is made out of rice, coconut milk, sugar, pork, chicken meat, boiled eggs and sausage then wrapped in banana leaves. This recipe is a Filipino version of tamales. Well known in Cavite and also in Pampangga.
To cook this tamales; Toast rice until brown. Grind finely. Add salt and pepper. Set aside. Add achuete coloring to coconut cream. Boil in medium heat stirring constantly. Add powdered rice, stir until well blended and thick. Separate 1/4 of cooked mixture and add to this the peanut butter. This mixture is for topping. For each tamales, put in 2-3 tablespoons of cooked mixture on two pieces of wilted banana leaves; top with 1 tablespoon peanut-butter mixture, 1-2 slices of hard-boiled egg, flaked chicken meat and strips of pork or sausage. Wrap to form a square and tie with a string. In a deep pan, put water enough to cover tamales. When water boils, put in tamales. Cover. Cook for 1 hour. Drain. Continue reading for the complete recipe with exact measurements of ingredients.
How to Cook Filipino Tamales
Ingredients
- 3 cups rice
- 5 cups coconut cream thin & thick together
- 2 tbsp atchuete seeds
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 tsp powdered pepper
- 4 tbsp peanut butter
Topping:
- 1 cup flaked chicken meat cooked
- 2 hard boiled eggs
- 1 cup cooked pork sliced into strips or 3-4 Vienna Sausage (thin-round slices)
Instructions
How to cook Filipino Tamales:
- Toast rice until brown. Grind finely. Add salt and pepper. Set aside. Add achuete coloring to coconut cream. Boil in medium heat stirring constantly. Add powdered rice and sugar. Stir until well blended and thick.
- Separate 1/4 of cooked mixture and add to this the peanut butter. This mixture is for topping. For each tamales, put in 2-3 tablespoons of cooked mixture on two pieces of wilted banana leaves; top with 1 tablespoon peanut-butter mixture, 1-2 slices of hard-boiled egg, flaked chicken meat and strips of pork or sausage.
- Wrap to form a square and tie with a string. In a deep pan, put water enough to cover tamales. When water boils, put in tamales. Cover. Cook for 1 hour. Drain.