Tamal Peruano

Name: Tamal Peruano
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients: 4 cups corn masa or ground dried corn; 1/2 cup vegetable shortening; 2 cups chicken broth; 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded; 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered; 8 black olives; 2 tbsp ají panca paste; 1 large onion, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp cumin; Banana leaves for wrapping; Kitchen string for tying; Salt to taste

⏱ Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes

📈 Difficulty Medium

👥 Servings

Peruvian-style tamales made with seasoned corn dough wrapped around a filling of chicken, hard-boiled egg, and olives, steamed in banana leaves.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 20.7g

Carbs 35.7g

Fat 15.2g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

gluten-free dairy-free

Ingredients

4 cups corn masa or ground dried corn
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups chicken broth
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
8 black olives
2 tbsp ají panca paste
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
Banana leaves for wrapping
Kitchen string for tying
Salt to taste

Instructions

1
Mix the corn masa with softened shortening, chicken broth, ají panca paste, and salt, kneading until you have a smooth, spreadable dough with an even reddish color throughout.
2
Prepare the filling by sautéing the onion and garlic until golden, then adding the shredded chicken and cumin, cooking for 5 minutes until well seasoned.
3
Cut banana leaves into large rectangles, briefly pass them over a flame to make them pliable, then spread a generous layer of corn dough in the center of each leaf.
4
Place shredded chicken filling, a quarter of hard-boiled egg, and one olive in the center of the dough, then fold the banana leaf to enclose everything, tying securely with string.
5
Steam the wrapped tamales in a large pot with a steamer basket for 1.5 to 2 hours, adding water as needed, until the dough is firm and pulls away cleanly from the banana leaf.
6
Let the tamales rest for 10 minutes after steaming before unwrapping, and serve with salsa criolla (onion relish) and a squeeze of lime.

💡

Did You Know?

Peruvian tamales are distinguished from their Mexican cousins by the use of banana leaves instead of corn husks and ají panca paste, and they are traditionally eaten for Sunday breakfast in Lima.