Rajas Tamal
Proper tamales mean an afternoon of wrapping and an hour of steaming, usually with several relatives helping. This is the single-portion cheat: the same masa, chilli strips and melting cheese, steamed in a mug in under twenty minutes.
- Total time
- 19 min
- Serves
- 2
- Effort
- Medium
What you need
Written for 2 — nudge the counter and the numbers follow.
0 of 10 in the basket.
How you make it
Fry the pepper strips and onion in the oil over high heat for 5 minutes until softened and lightly blackened at the edges, then season lightly.
Beat the butter with the salt and baking powder for 1 minute until pale, then work in the masa harina and warm stock to a soft, spreadable dough like thick frosting.
Butter two heatproof mugs and spoon in half the masa each, pressing a hollow in the middle.
Fill each hollow with the pepper mixture and the torn cheese, then cover with the remaining masa and smooth the top.
Set the mugs in a pan with 3cm of simmering water, cover tightly and steam over medium heat for 12 minutes, topping up the water if it runs low.
Test with a skewer — it should come out clean of raw dough — then rest for 2 minutes and serve with soured cream.
Read all that and thought “absolutely not”?
Completely fair. Rajas Tamal is sitting in the Mexican kitchen right now, it costs nothing, and it will never arrive.
Order it insteadMore from the Mexican kitchen
Lime, chilli and char, wrapped in something warm.