SALSA ROJA TOFU TAMALES

Serving Size 6

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

Created by Ye Jaydee Ortega as part of the CIA Tofu Innovation Challenge

 

Corn Husks 12 ea.
Vegetable Oil 2 Tbsp.

Salsa Roja:
Nasoya Silken Tofu ½ pack
Dried Arbol Peppers (deseeded) 2 ea.
Dried Guajillo Peppers (deseeded) 3 ea.
Dried Ancho Peppers (deseeded) 3 ea.
Tomato (quartered) 1 ea.
Onion (quartered) 2 ea.
Garlic 3 cloves
Veggie stock 1 cup
Cumin 1 tsp.
Coriander 1 tsp.
Bay leaf 1 ea.
Salt and Pepper 2 Tbsp.

Filling:

Nasoya Extra Firm Tofu (batonnet) ½ pack
Cabbage (minced) ¼ cabbage
Carrots (minced) 2 ea.
Oyster Mushroom (minced) 1 cluster
Red Salsa 1 ¼ cups
Vegetable Oil 1 tsp.
Salt and pepper 1 tsp.

Dough:

Maseca 1 cup
Veggie Stock (warm) 2-3 cups
Vegetable Shortening ¾ cup
Salt 2 Tbsp.
Salsa ½ cup

Pico De Gallo:

Tomato (small dice) 1 ea.
Onion (small dice) ½ onion
Cilantro (minced) ¼ bunch
Lime Juice 2 Tbsp.
Salt 1 Tbsp.

Curtido:

Cabbage (finely sliced) ¼ cabbage
Carrot (finely sliced) 1 ea.
Onion (finely sliced) ½ onion
White vinegar 1 cup
Water 1 cup
Salt and Pepper 1 Tbsp.
Oregano 2 Tbsp.

 

Preparation

  1. Press half a package of Nasoya Extra Firm Tofu with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.
  2. Hydrate the corn husks in hot water.
  3. Make Salsa:
  4. Take a sauté pan, on medium heat, and put the peppers, stock, and bay leaf in and simmer till peppers are bendable and rehydrated (2-3 min). Set aside to cool down a bit. Blend the peppers with all the rehydration liquid, tomatoes, onions, Nasoya Silken Tofu, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.
  5. Make Filling:
  6. Sauté’ cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms with salt and pepper on mediumhigh heat till all or most of the water drawn from the vegetables evaporates. Add salsa and set aside to cool down. Cut the Nasoya Extra Firm Tofu into batonnet, or 2 inches by ¼ inch sticks.
  7. Make the dough:
  8. In a bowl and mix the maseca and vegetable shortening till well combined. Add the salsa and salt and mix till well combined. Gradually add warm veggie stock till a wet sand consistency is reached.
  9. Assemble the tamales:
  10. Take and dry the corn husks with a towel or paper towels. It’ll look like there’s a narrow side and it gets wider. Take the narrow side and turn it vertically. Take a tiny bit of oil and brush it onto the husk. Take some dough and from the middle of the husk, spread a thin layer of dough (about ¼ inch thick) to the wider part of the husk, which will be the top of the tamal, and all the way to the horizontal ends of the husk. Add about 2 tbsps. of filling to the middle of the husk onto the dough that’s spread on and place a batonnet of Nasoya Extra Firm Tofu and place on top of the filling. Take the horizontal sides of the husk with dough and place them together. Gently squeeze the dough between the husk lower so the filling is secure in the tamal. Fold that part of the husk over the tamal and the narrow part that doesn’t have dough towards the top of the tamal. Add a small amount of dough to the top of the tamal to encase the filling. Repeat until yield amount is reached or there is no more filling, husks, and/or dough.
  11. Steam the Tamales:
  12. Place the tamales in a steamer vertically with the folded part to the bottom and the open part faces the top. Steam for 45 minutes to an hour. Then let them sit uncovered for about 10 minutes to firm up.
  13. Pico De Gallo:
  14. In a bowl, mix tomatoes, onions, cilantro, salt and lime juice.
  15. Curtido:
  16. In a bowl, mix cabbage, onions, carrots, vinegar, water, salt, pepper, and oregano.
  17. Serve and Enjoy:
  18. Serve 2 tamales. To eat, peel the tamal from the husk and place the salsa on top and enjoy it right from the husk or on a plate with some side dishes. Extras include the Salsa Roja, some Pico de Gallo, Curtido, rice and beans, or other Latin side dishes that complement the tamales.

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