Name: Oaxacan Pumpkin Tamales
Ingredients: 1 lb Banana leaves (thawed if frozen); 1 Recipe basic tamale dough; 2 c Cooked or canned pureed pumpkin or winter squash (drain slightly if watery); 1 1/2 ts Ground true ceylon cinnamon; preferably freshly ground in a spice grinder, or 1/2 teaspoon ground u.s. cinnamon; 3 oz Piloncillo; grated or crushed, or 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar; 1 ts Salt; or to taste; 2 ts Aniseed; 2 c Water; 2 1/2 cups cooked or drained canned black beans, (up to 2); 2 Canned chipolte chiles; (up to 3); 5 Garlic cloves; peeled , (up to 6); 2 tb Lard; Salt; to taste

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Grains	Oaxacan	Chef du jou, Zarela mart	1	Servings

INGREDIENTS

1	lb	Banana leaves (thawed if frozen)
1		Recipe basic tamale dough
2	c	Cooked or canned pureed pumpkin or winter squash (drain slightly if watery)
1 1/2	ts	Ground true ceylon cinnamon; preferably freshly ground in a spice grinder, or 1/2 teaspoon ground u.s. cinnamon
3	oz	Piloncillo; grated or crushed, or 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1	ts	Salt; or to taste
2	ts	Aniseed
2	c	Water
2		1/2 cups cooked or drained canned black beans, (up to 2)
2		Canned chipolte chiles; (up to 3)
5		Garlic cloves; peeled , (up to 6)
2	tb	Lard
		Salt; to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE CORN DOUGH
FOR THE BEAN FILLING
Unfold the banana leaves, being careful not to split them unnecessarily.
Wipe them with a clean damp cloth. With kitchen scissors, trim the leaves
into 12 to 14 rectangles about 14 by 11
inches. Save some of the longer trimmings. Pat dry and set aside.
Place the dough in a large bowl and add the pumpkin, Ceylon cinnamon and
grated sugar cane or brown sugar and salt, and beat with an electric mixer
on medium speed until very light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the
sides of the bowl as necessary. The mixture, should be as light as
buttercream. Make an anise infusion by boiling the aniseed in the water
until reduced by half. Strain and reserve. Working in batches if necessary,
puree the beans in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade
together with the chiles, garlic and anise tea.
Heat the lard or vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or wide, shallow saucepan
over high heat. When very hot, add the bean puree, watching out for
splatters. Reduce the heat to medium and
simmer, uncovered, stirring to prevent sticking, until the liquid is
evaporated. Season with salt. Cool to room temperature.
To fill the tamales, place 1 or 2 banana-leaf rectangles at a time flat on
the counter. Tear off some long, thin strips from the reserved banana-leaf
trimmings to use as ties. Place a big handful (2/3 to 1 cup) of the Masa
(corn mixture) in the center of the leaf. With a spatula or your fingers,
spread it into an oval about 4 by 3 inches and 1/2-inch thick. Place about
1 heaping tablespoon of the bean filling in the center of the oval.
Fold the right and left edges of the banana leaf toward the center to meet,
overlapping a little to cover the filling, then fold the top and bottom
edges toward the center to make a neat, flat package about 4 by 5 inches.
Fasten by tieing with a thin strip of banana leaf.
Place the tamales flat in the steamer, seam side up, arranging them in
layers as necessary. Place some extra banana leaves on top to help absorb
steam. Steam 1 hour over boiling water, replenishing with hot water as
necessary.
Yield: 12 to 14 tamales
Recipe by: CHEF DU JOUR ZARELA MARTINEZ SHOW #DJ9159
Posted to recipelu-digest Volume 01 Number 261 by Peg Baldassari
<Baldassari@compuserve.com> on Nov 16, 1997

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