Have you ever heard of a food called tamales? The name may sound foreign, but actually in Indonesia you can find a snack that has a similar concept, namely lemper. Tamales, which are a typical Mexican dish, are generally made from a mixture of beef, vegetables, cheese, and/or chilies wrapped in banana or kelobot leaves before being cooked thoroughly. Tamales are usually served with side dishes and drinks, such as tomatillo salsa (a salsa made from tomatoes) or a cup of hot atole or grits mixed with a Mexican home-cooked sauce. If you want, tamales are even delicious eaten straight without any additions! Like lemper, tamales are also popular as street food menus and are delicious to snack on anytime!
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Method 1 of 2: Eating Tamales Live
Step 1. Eat tamales straight from the wrapper
To do this, you just need to open one side of the tamales wrapper, which is usually made of banana or kelobot leaves, and eat the contents. Once the tamales are finished, throw the wrappers in the trash and continue your journey! In fact, tamales are snacks meant to be eaten on the go, much like a sandwich or bagel wrapped in food wrapping paper.
- Buy tamales sold at typical Mexican restaurants or stalls selling authentic dishes from that country. Generally, such restaurants or shops sell tamales in sizes and packaging concepts that make it easy for tamales to be eaten on the go.
- Don't eat the tamales wrapper!
Step 2. Eat the tamales with a fork and knife
First of all, unwrap the tamales and remove the wrappers. After that, transfer the tamales to a plate and cut them into smaller pieces. That way, you don't have to keep your hands on the tamales while you eat them or worry about getting your hands dirty afterwards.
- Don't forget to open the kelobot that wraps the tamales before eating the tamales. Unlike the edible banana leaf (though not generally eaten with tamales), this is not the case. In fact, eating kelobot can actually make you choke or have a stomach ache afterward!
- Cut up the tamales to make them easier for kids to eat. Remember, children generally have a hard time eating whole tamales because they are too big!
Step 3. Add salsa sauce or mole sauce to enrich the taste of the tamales
Serve savory tamales with salsa verde sauce or a slightly sour tomato sauce. Or, you can also serve it with mole sauce, which is a typical Mexican sauce made from a mixture of chocolate, chili pieces, and various types of spices. The sauce can be poured directly onto the tamales or used as a dip for more control over the portion.
- If you want, you can use a favorite salsa sauce recipe, such as a salsa with black beans and corn, mango and habanero chilies, or chunky pico de gallo (salsa sauce with a mixture of various raw ingredients).
- If you don't have salsa sauce, try replacing it with regular chili sauce.
Step 4. Eat sweet tamales for dessert
While most tamales have a savory or spicy filling, there are also variants filled with a variety of sweet treats such as chocolate, raisins or bananas. In fact, some restaurants commonly serve sweet tamales as dessert, you know!
Sweet tamales are generally mixed with strong spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. To enhance the taste and appearance, usually the surface of the tamales will be decorated with whipped cream or a drip of honey
Step 5. Warm the remaining tamales before eating
If you have leftover tamales in the fridge, there are several ways you can warm them up without risking sacrificing their soft texture. For example, you can steam tamales with the help of a steamer basket, or warm them up in the oven by applying a little cooking oil to the surface to give the tamales a crispier texture as they cook.
- If you don't have a steamer or oven, you can also reheat tamales in the microwave. However, don't forget to put a glass of water on the side of the tamales to prevent them from drying out and becoming crumbly when eaten.
- Tamales do not have to be warmed before eating. Although they are more often consumed when they are freshly cooked in warm conditions, the taste of tamales will still be delicious when eaten cold!
Method 2 of 2: Serving Tamales with Other Foods and Drinks
Step 1. Serve the tamales with a cup of hot atole
Atole is a hot Mexican drink made from boiled corn with a mixture of various flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and fruit. Atole is commonly sipped with tamales to complete your dining experience.
- Freshly cooked atole is generally always available in restaurants and shops that sell tamales.
- Interested in making your own atole? Try making it from masa or cornstarch, which is also used to wrap tamales.
Step 2. Serve the tamales with arroz con leche
Arroz con leche, which is a Mexican-style rice pudding, is a traditional snack commonly served with tamales. To make it, all you need to do is boil long-grain white rice with milk and cinnamon sticks until it has a custard-like texture. Put the pudding in the refrigerator to cool the temperature and make the texture thicker when eaten.
- Sprinkle the surface of the tamales with a handful of raisins, chopped nuts, or ground cinnamon to enhance their appearance.
- Serve tamales with a bowl of arroz con leche as a delicious and filling breakfast menu.
Step 3. Serve the tamales with chile
Place the tamales in the bottom of the bowl, then pour a spoonful of chile over them. Also add grated cheese, sour cream, chopped tomatoes and onions, or any other accompaniment you want to enrich the taste of the tamales.
Chili is generally served with tamales that have a more filling filling, such as minced beef, pork, or cheese
Step 4. Try making the Chicago-style sandwich popularly known as the “Mother-in-Law” (mother-in-law) bread
If you want a more unique version of tamales, try putting fresh tamales on a hot dog bun and pouring as much chili as possible on top. Don't forget to leave room to add a variety of Chicago-style accompaniments such as yellow mustard, onions, pickles, tomato slices, chili peppers, and a salt and celery mix.
