Tamales Tolimenses (Tolima Region Tamales)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of pork ribs cut into small pieces
- 12 pieces of chicken
- 1 pound pork belly cut into small pieces
- 4 medium potatoes peeled and sliced
- 2 large carrots peeled and sliced
- 6 cooked eggs sliced
- 1 cup peas
- 3 cups cooked rice
Instructions
- Place all the marinade ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Reserve ½ cup of the marinade to prepare the masa.
- In a large plastic bowl place all the meat, add 1 ½ cups of the marinade. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight.
- To prepare the masa: Place the masarepa in a large bowl, add the water, salt, sazon Goya or color and reserved marinade. Mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands.
- Wash the leaves well with hot water and set aside.
- To assemble the tamales: Place 1 piece of the leaf on a work surface and place a second leaf on top, pointing in the opposite direction, like forming a cross.
- . Spread ½ cup of masa and about ¼ cup of rice in the center of the banana leaves, at the point where they connect and form a cross. Place, 1 piece pork belly, 1 piece of chicken and 1 piece of rib on top of the masa and place about 1 tablespoon of peas, 1 or 2 slices of carrots and 2 slices of potatoes on top of the meat.
- Bring the corners of the banana leaves up to the middle of the filling, and tie it with butcheru2019s string right above the filling, so that there is a tuft of leaves above the string (see picture). Continue the process until all the tamales are wrapped and tied.
- Bring a large pot with salted water to a boil. Add the tamales and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 2 hours. Remove the tamales from the pot and let them sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Cut the stirring and serve in the leaves. Serve hogao on the side if desired.
Tamal is an important dish in Colombian cuisine and you'll find them on almost all traditional Colombian restaurant menus. There are many different variations of tamales throughout the country. Tamales Tolimense is a recipe I have been planning to share with you for some time now.
The filling in this tamal is chicken, pork belly, pork ribs, boiled egg, carrots, peas, potatoes, rice, condiments, and masa, all wrapped with plantain leaves. In the Tolima region of Colombia it is traditional to eat Tamal Tolimense for breakfast with hot chocolate and arepa.
Tamal is a dish loved all around Colombia, and I want to share all of the many variations with you. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!
Marinade:4 garlic cloves1 large green bell pepper, chopped4 tablespoons ground cuminSalt
Masa:5 cups chicken stock
SaltWrapping:String
Water and Salt to cook the tamales
Maria Marshall
Estas instrucciones lucen mucho como los tamales que hacía mi mamá que era del Tolima. Se ven muy ricos!! Lamentablemente no recuerdo todos los ingredientes, por eso estoy hoy 31 recordándola y pensando en sus tamales. Mil gracias! Podrías por favor decirme qué ingredientes usas para marinar? No los veo en la lista de ingredientes. Y el arroz se cocina normalmente o algunos condimentos en especial? Mil gracias.
Jesse
I don’t see ingredients for the marinate or masarepa in the ingredients list?
Marilyn
Hey Erica! I’ve made so many recipes of yours and absolutely love it, my husband is also vegetarian and I was wondering if you had any vegetarian tamales Ideas?
Barbara Campbell
What wonderful recuerdos de Colombia! I lived in Ibague, Tolima, in the Peace Corps in the early 70's. I remember fiestas with roast pork with a very tasty stuffing. What was it? I no longer eat red meat. (Being an environmentalist I do not support the livestock industry) but would like to return to the enjoyment of other Colombian dishes.
SARA MEIRA
HOLA! ME ENCANTA LA RECETA! Tengo dos preguntas, la primera es, yo vivo en New York y quisiera saber si sabes donde se consiguen las hojas de platano aca.
La segunda es, nosotros no comemos cerdo, que puede reemplazar el pork belly?
Me encanta tu blog!
Saludos y felices fiestas!
Connie
Thanks so much for your recipes, they bring back so many memories. We moved to NY in 1968 when I was a kid and now live in Arkansas where you can't find Colombian food. Just found your blog and I love the pictures along with the recipes.My daughter loves to cook, so we are both going learn how to cook Colombian. Thanks again.
Ruby Sanchez
Mi madre hizo muchos tamales para la familia y son Huilences. Nunca e comido nada mejor que los tamales de mi mama. Son esquecitos y un sabor maravilloso y les pone una masa suave de maiz. Primero en la hoja del tamal le estiende la masa y luego el arroz con las arvejas amarillas secas, y dos rebanadas de papa delgadas y dos de nazanahoria, pollo, costilla de cerdo, bien sasonado, chorizo y una rebanada de huevo duro ensima y luego otro poquito de la masa de maiz con salsa y los pone a cocinar por tres horas al bano maria teneiendo en cuenta de hecharle agua cada vez que necesite, y los hace de buen tamano y super ricos.
Erica Dinho
Suenan deliciosos!!!Gracias!
Maria Marshall
Justo así como dices los armaba mi mamá que era to linense. Recuerdas por favor los condimentos que usa tu mamá? En la lista de la receta no aparecen los condimentos. Yo nunca he podido replicar los de mi mamá … no aún el sabor del arroz! Me haría muy feliz un día en su honor hacerlos y que se parecieran! Gracias.
Sue
Hi, I am looking for a variation of the tamale from the Neiva, region. My husband's family is from that region and we want to make tamales for the holidays. Do you know a recipe from this region?
Terrence Dempsey
Hello, in step 6 of this recipe you show a picture with masa on top of the meat and veggies, but you never mention adding that nor how much. Please advise!
Blanca Monroy
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing it!