Tamales Oaxaqueños de Rajas
Steamed corn masa cakes filled with roasted poblano peppers and cheese—a beloved Oaxacan vegetarian classic. Ready in under 45 minutes with minimal hands-on time.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 320
- Protein
- 9g
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry masa harina (corn flour for tamales)
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth, warm
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 4 whole poblano peppers, roasted and peeled
- 8 ounces Oaxaca cheese or fresh mozzarella, sliced into strips
- 24 whole corn husks, dried and soaked in warm water
Instructions
- 1
Soak the corn husks in a large bowl of warm water for 15 minutes so they become soft and pliable, then drain them on paper towels.
- 2
Hold each roasted poblano pepper over a cutting board and use a small knife to make a lengthwise slit from stem to tip, then gently peel away the blackened skin with your fingers.
- 3
Slide your knife carefully through each peeled poblano to remove the stem and seeds, leaving the pepper as one flat piece.
- 4
Slice the cheese into 16 thin strips, each about the width of your pinky finger and 3 inches long.
- 5
In a large bowl, whisk together the masa harina, warm broth, and 1 teaspoon of salt until the mixture looks like thick, smooth pudding with no dry flour lumps.
- 6
In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer or by hand for 2 minutes until light and fluffy, then fold it into the masa mixture until fully combined.
- 7
Lay one drained corn husk flat on a cutting board, then spread 2 tablespoons of masa into a 3-by-3-inch square in the center of the husk.
- 8
Place one strip of poblano and one strip of cheese on top of the masa, then fold the left and right edges of the husk over the filling to enclose it.
- 9
Fold the bottom edge of the husk up and the top edge down to seal it like an envelope, then stand the tamal upright in a tamale steamer basket, open end facing up.
- 10
Repeat steps 7–9 with the remaining husks, masa, poblano, and cheese until all 8 tamales are assembled and standing in the basket.
- 11
Fill the steamer pot below the basket with 2 cups of water, cover the basket with extra corn husks, place the lid on the pot, and set heat to medium.
- 12
Steam for 25 minutes until the masa pulls away cleanly from the husk when you carefully peel back a corner—do not open the lid before 25 minutes.
- 13
Remove the pot from heat and let the tamales rest in the closed steamer for 5 minutes, then serve immediately while still warm.
Tools you’ll need
- large bowl
- cutting board
- small knife
- paper towels
- electric mixer or fork
- tamale steamer pot with basket
- pot lid
- whisk
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