Chinese Rice Tamales Recipes

TAMALE RICE

Steps:

• Place tamales in a large pot; mash with a potato masher. Add beef broth, water, chili powder, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat to low; cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes.

SWEET ALMOND TAMALES WITH PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups milk and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Whisk egg yolks and 2 tablespoons masa harina together in a bowl until well combined. Add to milk, stirring constantly, until pastry cream thickens, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool for 1 hour.
• Place corn husks in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 30 to 60 minutes. Drain, place on a work surface, and cover with a clean, damp towel.
• Place almonds in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for a few minutes until cool enough to handle. Slip the almonds out of their skins one by one, leaving the remaining almonds in the warm water. Drain almonds in a colander and finely chop.
• Beat 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add 1 1/4 cups sugar and continue to beat until mixture is very fluffy. Add 2 cups masa harina and baking powder and continue mixing dough by hand. Add milk, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough has a soft and fluffy texture. Mix in rice flour and if necessary, add more milk. Keep kneading dough until it is smooth and moist. Add almonds and continue kneading until dough is smooth and elastic.
• Select 1 wide corn husk or 2 small ones. Spread about 2 tablespoons of dough onto the the corn husk, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. Add 1 tablespoon of pastry cream down the center of the dough. Fold sides of husk together, one over the other. Fold the bottom of the husk over the seam of the 2 folded sides. Repeat with remaining husks.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add tamales with the open side up and cook until filling is heated through and separates from the husk, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.

CHINESE RICE " TAMALES"

Steps:

• Pour enough warm water over the glutinous rice, mung beans and chestnuts in separate bowls to cover them completely. Soak overnight. Drain the three ingredients and combine them in one large bowl. Add the salt and five-spice and stir to coat.
• Pour enough warm water over the mushrooms in a large bowl to cover them completely. Let soak until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain. Discard the stems and slice the caps thinly.
• Pour enough water over the bamboo leaves in a large pot to cover them completely. Bring to a boil, then remove the pot from the heat, let cool slightly and drain. Pat the leaves dry and set them aside.
• Make the tamales: Place two bamboo leaves, over lapping each other halfway on the work surface. Place a 1/3-cup of the rice mixture in the center. Top with a slice of pork and 3 to 4 slices of mushroom. Cover with about 2 tablespoons of the rice and mung bean mixture. Fold the leaves over the stuffing to enclose it completely, then tie package closed with kitchen string.
• Place tamales in a large pot, pour in enough water to cover them, and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the water is simmering and cook until the tamale filling feels tender when you squeeze it gently, 4 to 5 hours. Replenish the water in the pot as necessary to keep the tamales covered during cooking. Drain and serve warm.