Have I mentioned that we love Mexican food in our household? I am so lucky that my husband shares the same love for food as I do. Today I am sharing my vegetarian tamales de rajas con queso recipe AKA Poblano Chili and cheese tamales. When we travel to Mexico, we are always trying out all the veggie foods our tummies will allow. The first time Umang (my husband) tried a tamal he was stunned by the flavor- they’re so good- so I decided to make vegetarian tamales de rajas con queso.
What are tamales?
Tamales are a Latin American dish that consists of stewed meat wrapped in corn dough that is steamed in a corn husk. These tamales are a recipe from Mexico specifically. Each Latin American country has its own version. Tamales are very delicious but oftentimes not vegetarian-friendly because of the lard in the dough. The good thing is that they are not difficult to make vegetarian.Tamales are often eaten during the holidays and día de la Candelaria (religiously speaking it’s the purification of the Virgin Mary and Jesus). Honestly, tamales are just a good reason to get together. Here is how you can make these vegetarian tamales de rajas con queso .
Vegetarian Tamales de Rajas con Queso
Ingredients
- 3 dozen corn husk
- 2 cups of tamales masa harina
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 1 tbsp of veggie bouillon
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 2/3 cup of ghee (clarified butter
- 5 roasted poblano peppers
- 1 lbs of Oaxaca cheese (pull apart or shredded. If you can’t find Oaxaca cheese use mozzarella
- Crema natural for garnish
- Queso fresco for garnish
Ingredients for tomato sauce for the poblano Rajas for vegetarian tamales de rajas con queso
- 3 tomato
- 1/2 onion
- 2 gloves of garlic
- 1 jalapeno or serrano
Method
Step 1
Take your corn husk and put it in a bowl filled with water. You are going to let the corn husk sit in warm water to make them more pliable. Set them aside for about 20 minutes.
Step 2
Shred your Oaxacan Cheese and set it to the side.
Step 3
Heat up some water in a kettle. Pour 1 ½ cups of into a bowl, and add 1 tbsp of veggie bouillon. Add more bouillon if you feel it’s not flavorful enough, and set to the side to cool. This is your veggie broth- feel free to use boxed broth as well.
Step 4
Roast your 5 poblano peppers on direct heat. If you do not have a gas range, you can pop your poblano peppers in the oven or your air fryer. Once they are completely charred, place them in a plastic bag and let them sweat for 5 minutes.
Step 5
On a skillet place 3 cloves of garlic, 3 tomatoes, 1 jalapeno, or serrano. Roast them until they are blistered. Once they are done add them to your blender with ½ of an onion, 1-2 tsp of salt, 1 Maggi Veggie cube, and a pinch of pepper. Blend until a smooth consistency. Set this aside.
Step 6
Take your 5 poblano peppers out of the bag and peel the charred layer off each pepper (I scrape the skin off with my knife) remove all the seeds and stem. After cleaning up all the peppers, cut them into strips (aka, rajas). DO NOT WASH YOUR POBLANOS TO GET ALL THE CHARRED SKIN OFF, THEY WILL LOSE FLAVOR.
Step 7
Cut ½ an onion into strips. Add 3 tbsp of oil to a pan that’s at medium heat. Add your onions and let them cook until they are transparent. Add the poblano strips and stir. After the poblano and onions have softened, pour in your tomato sauce from step five. Let that simmer on low heat for 5 minutes and set it aside to cool.
Step 8
Add 1 cup of ghee or vegetable shortening , to your stand mixer. Let that blend on medium speed for a few minutes. Slowly add 3 cups of Maseca tamal harina (flour) along with 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of baking powder. Slowly add your veggie broth a little at a time.
Once all the broth has been poured in, stop the mixer and knead with your hands.
The consistency should be light and fluffy. It should not be dry.
Step 9
Take your corn husk out of the water and rinse them off one by one. This ensures they are clean and ready to use.
Step 10
Slather 3 tbsp of your dough on the corn husk or enough to cover the corn husk. Place the dough in the middle and spread it out into a rectangle shape, it should be a thin layer. Add 1 spoonful of the rajas mix and a large fistful of cheese. Wrap the tamal up and prop it up in a large bowl. Repeat this process until all the dough is finished.
Step 11
To the bottom of the instant pot add 2 cups of water and lightly pat down a large piece of aluminum foil. you can also set a steamer rack. Set your tamales standing up and cover with the remaining unfilled corn husk. Close the instant pot and set it to high pressure on the mode “pressure cook” for 40-45 minutes.
Step 12
Once they are finished cooking, release the vent to the pressure cooker. You can either take the tamales out of the instant pot and place them in a trey or leave them in the pot to keep them warm. Add crema natural and queso fresco as a garnish and Enjoy!
I hope you enjoyed this vegetarian tamales de rajas con queso recipe, I had a lot of fun making these over the Holidays and I hope you decide to make these! If there are any other tamales you love, let me know in the comments below!
Check out other latest recipes.
Delicious Vegetarian Tamales de Rajas con Queso
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
- can to make a salsa
- cheese grater
Ingredients
- 3 dozen corn husk
- 2 cups cups of tamales masa harina
- 1 1/2 cups cups of water
- 1 rbso veggie bouillon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2/3 cups ghee
- 5 Roasted poblano pepper
- 1 lbs Oaxaca cheese
- Crema natural for garnish
- Queso fresco for garnish
- 3 Tomatoes
- 1/2 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 jalapeno or serrano
Instructions
- Take your corn husk and put it in a bowl filled with water. You are going to let the corn husk sit in warm water to make them more pliable. Set them aside for about 20 minutes.
- Shred your Oaxacan Cheese and set it to the side.
- Heat up some water in a kettle. Pour 1 ½ cups of water into a bowl, and add 1 tbsp of veggie bouillon. Add more bouillon if you feel it’s not flavorful enough, and set to the side to cool. This is your veggie broth- feel free to use boxed broth as well.
- Roast your 5 poblano peppers on direct heat. If you do not have a gas range, you can pop your poblano peppers in the oven or your air fryer. Once they are completely charred, place them in a plastic bag and let them sweat for 5 minutes.
- On a skillet place 3 cloves of garlic, 3 tomatoes, 1 jalapeno, or serrano. Roast them until they are blistered. Once they are done add them to your blender with ½ of an onion, 1-2 tsp of salt, 1 Maggi Veggie cube, and a pinch of pepper. Blend until a smooth consistency. Set this aside.
- Take your 5 poblano peppers out of the bag and peel the charred layer off each pepper (I scrape the skin off with my knife) remove all the seeds and stem. After cleaning up all the peppers, cut them into strips (aka, rajas). DO NOT WASH YOUR POBLANOS TO GET ALL THE CHARRED SKIN OFF, THEY WILL LOSE FLAVOR.
- Cut ½ an onion into strips. Add 3 tbsp of oil to a pan that’s at medium heat. Add your onions and let them cook until they are transparent. Add the poblano strips and stir. After the poblano and onions have softened, pour in your tomato sauce from step five. Let that simmer on low heat for 5 minutes and set it aside to cool.
- Add 1 cup of ghee or vegetable shortening , to your stand mixer. Let that blend on medium speed for a few minutes. Slowly add 3 cups of Maseca tamal harina (flour) along with 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of baking powder. Slowly add your veggie broth a little at a time. Once all the broth has been poured in, stop the mixer and knead with your hands. The consistency should be light and fluffy. It should not be dry.
- Take your corn husk out of the water and rinse them off one by one. This ensures they are clean and ready to use.
- Slather 3 tbsp of dough on the corn husk or enough to cover the corn husk completely. Place the dough in the middle and spread it out into a rectangle shape, it should be a thin layer. Add 1 spoonful of the rajas mix and a large fistful of cheese. Wrap the tamal into it and fold the bottom to ensure none of the contents spill. Prop it up in a large bowl. Repeat this process until all the dough is finished.
- On the bottom of the instant pot add 2 cups of water and lightly pat down a large piece of aluminum foil. you can also set a steamer rack. Set the tamales standing up and cover with the remaining unfilled corn husk. Close the instant pot and set it to high pressure on the mode "pressure cook" for 40-45 minutes.
- Once they are finished cooking, release the vent to the pressure cooker. You can either take the tamales out of the instant pot and place them in a trey or leave them in the pot to keep them warm. Add crema natural and queso fresco as a garnish and Enjoy!
