Tamales

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or high sided skillet over medium heat. Add the greens, shallo and garlic and cook until wilted and water is cooked off, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the mole negro and remove from heat. Add the sesame seeds and set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add masa, cumin, salt, charcoal, baking powder and garlic powder; mix until combined. Add the melted refined coconut oil, then beat on low speed until combined. Slowly add the vegetable broth and beat on low speed until combined.  Once all of the broth has been added, increase speed to medium, and beat for 8 minutes, until fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, if needed. Add the mole to the batter and beat again for 2 minutes until well incorporated – you can refrigerate your dough at this point if you are not ready to assemble the tamales.

Trim 12 banana leaves into large 10 by 10 squares, toast over an open flame to make them pliable by using tongs to hold them over a gas burner for about 30 seconds each. If you don’t have a gas stove, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the banana leaves, one at a time until warmed through and pliable.

To assemble the tamales, place a banana leaf on the countertop, dull side up. Take about ¼ cup of the dough and spread it onto the top half of the leaf about 2 inches from the top making a square about 4 inches wide and a little less than ½ inch thick – you can wet your fingers so that the dough won’t stick and easily shape the dough with your hands. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling down the center of the dough. Fold the left and right sides of the leaf closed, overlapping each other. Fold the top leaf down then the bottom leaf up, making a package, and set aside seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining filling and banana leaves.

Bring a couple of inches of water to a boil in a tamale steamer or a lidded pot with a steam basket in the bottom (the water shouldn’t touch the steamer basket). Place a coin or a small pebble in the water. It will make a rattling sound while there’s water in the steamer, you’ll know to add more if the sound stops. Line the steamer basket with a couple of banana leaves or corn husks and add the tamales.

Cover with a lid and steam the tamales for 35 minutes. If the rattling coin or pebble stops, add more water to the steamer. Allow the tamales to cool for about 10 minutes before eating. They will be a little soft when they come out of the steamer, but firm up significantly as they cool.