Making Tamales using a corn meal alternative
What can I use to make tamales other than corn meal? My son is allergic to corn.
Best Answer
In some cuisines, the masa isn't usually corn at all. Sometimes it's rice, sometimes it's plantain and/or other starchy fruit. The tamale-like dish is actually called pasteles, but the difference between tamales and pasteles seems to be primarily the corn.
Check out this informational link and these recipes from Epicurious and The Polynesian Kitchen; and this video.
Making these wouldn't be like substituting a less than ideal ingredient for corn, because it isn't. Pasteles are a well loved dish in their own right. But once you know how to make the masa, you could certainly make a tamale recipe you like, but with the pasteles masa.
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What can I use instead of corn meal?
Here are all of my 'next best' ideas for what to use when you're out of cornmeal.- Semolina. This is my absolute favorite non-corn-based substitute to use for so many reasons! ...
- Ground oats. If you don't necessarily want the corn flavor, this would be a perfect substitute for texture. ...
- Wheat flour. ...
- Rice flour. ...
- Ground flaxseed.
Can you substitute cornmeal for masa?
Corn Meal However, the texture of cornmeal is a bit grainier than cornflour and more similar to the texture of masa harina. This grainy texture makes cornmeal a good 1:1 substitute for dough-like recipes that use masa harina.What is a substitute for masa in tamales?
Corn flour Corn flour is the closest substitute to masa harina. Derived from corn grain, the flour is ground down and used as a thickener. The difference in flavor comes from soaking the masa harina in the solution to get the tart flavor. Corn flour is a great masa harina substitute in chili.Can you use corn meal instead of masa for tamales?
Masa Harina uses corn that's been soaked in an alkaline agent and it has a distinct flavor. The corn used for cornmeal hasn't been treated like this and won't have the same flavor as Masa Harina \u2014 so if you try to make tortillas or tamales with cornmeal most likely you're going to be disappointed with the flavor!How to make Tamales with cornmeal
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