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Tamales Colombianos

Colombian Tamales Recipe

Erica Dinho
5 from 108 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Course Main dish
Cuisine Colombian
Servings 12 servings
Calories 714 kcal

Ingredients
 

Marinade:

  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 large red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 large green bell pepper chopped
  • 4 scallions chopped
  • 4 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 3 tablespoons sazon Goya with azafran or Color
  • Salt
  • 2 cups water

Filling:

  • 1 pound pork belly cut into 12 pieces
  • 1 ½ pounds pork meat cut into 12 pieces
  • 2 pounds bone in pork ribs cut into pieces
  • 3 large potatoes peeled and diced
  • 1 cup peas fresh or frozen
  • 1 cup carrots peeled and diced

Masa

  • 1 pound yellow precooked corn meal masarepa
  • 5 cups water
  • Salt
  • ½ cup marinade
  • 2 tablespoons sazon Goya with azafran or color

Wrapping:

  • 2 pounds banana leaves cut into pieces about 15 inches long
  • String
  • Water and Salt to cook the tamales

Instructions
 

Marinade:

  • 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.

To assemble the tamales:

  • Wash the leaves well with hot water and set aside.
  • 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 ¾ cup of masa in the center of the banana leaves, at the point where they connect and form a cross. Place 1 piece of pork, 1 piece pork belly and 1 piece of rib on top of the masa and place about 1 tablespoon of peas, 1 tablespoon of carrots and 2 tablespoons of potatoes on top of the meat.
  • Fold the banana leaves up, one of the four sides at the time, so that the leaves enclose all of the filling, like you’re making a package. Tie with butcher’s string. 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 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove the tamales from the pot and let them sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Cut the string and serve in the leaves. Serve hogao on the side if desired.

Notes

  • Banana leaves are sold in Latin and Asian markets.
  • Colombian tamales are made with precooked corn meal. You can find it at Latin markets or Amazon.
  • Tamales will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month in a zip lock bag.
  • To reheat the tamales: Steam your tamales for about 30 minutes or  45 minutes if  if they are frozen or use the microwave for a faster method place one tamal on a plate, cover with a damp paper towel  and microwave for  about 10 minutes or until they are warm. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 714kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 28gFat: 46gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 795mgPotassium: 835mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2404IUVitamin C: 39mgCalcium: 175mgIron: 5mg
Keyword colombian tamales, tamales colombianos
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