Recipe: Make Tamales at home

MANILA, Philippines — You've always thought that making kakanin is tedious, complicated, simply hard work. But the truth is that not all kakanins require extreme manual labor to make.

Tamales, for one, should be easy enough to make at home. Let this recipe from The Maya Kitchen show you just how easy it is to make delicious tamales. This is one delightful savory kakanin to enjoy with family and friends.

INGREDIENTS:

For the paste:

1 pack Maya Oven Toaster Bibingka Mix (150 grams)

1 cup water

1 1/2 tsps. peanut butter

For the filling:

2 tbsps. oil

1 tsp. chopped garlic

2 tbsps. chopped onion

1 cup flaked chicken or pork adobo

To assemble:

2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

Banana leaves for wrapping

PROCEDURE:

1. Pass the banana leaves over medium flame to wilt them. Cut into eight 8x4-inches strips. Set aside. Prepare steamer.

2. Boil water in a steamer pan.

3. In a saucepan, combine the bibingka mix, water and peanut butter to make the paste. Mix until smooth. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Let cool, then divide into eight portions.

4. Make the filling. In a skillet pan, heat oil, then sauté garlic and onion. Add the cooked meat. Set aside to cool.

5. To assemble, lay one banana leaf to form a cone or use two banana leaves and fold, overlapping, to form a square. Fill with cooked tamales paste. Press lightly to make a shape of a pyramid or square. Add a slice of egg. Seal edge of pyramid with toothpick or lay square tamales seam side down.  Repeat procedure with the remaining paste and filling. Wrap all tamales with aluminum foil. Steam tamales for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool then unwrap. Serve with hot sauce if desired.

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