Humitas are savoury steamed cakes made from a mixture of freshly ground corn, onion, garlic, cheese, eggs, and cream, which is placed inside corn husks and steamed. This classic vegetarian dish is found in Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. And if you have been to South America, you’ll know that vegetarian food is not always easy to find! So humitas are a great option for a quick and filling vegetarian snack.
It seems like almost everyone in South America has their own variation on humitas! So we have picked a simple version to get you started. Once you have mastered the basic recipe, feel free to be inventive and create your own special version!
TIP: Feel free to make as many as you want as you can keep cooked humitas in the freezer for up to a month!
INGREDIENTS
6-7 fresh cobs of corn, with husks
3 cups grated mozzarella or chedder cheese
1 cup diced white onions
1 tsp ground coriander (optional)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup corn meal
A cup of double cream
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
METHOD:
First, remove the husks from the corn.; try to keep each husk intact. The large ones will be used as wrappers for the humitas and the smaller ones will be broken into long strips to secure the packages.
To help make the corn husks more pliable place them in a pot of water for a couple of minutes, then drain the water and save the husks until ready to use.
Remove the silky hairs from the corn and use a knife to cut the corn kernels from the cob.
Place the corn kernels, 1 cup of cheese, diced onions, crushed garlic, ground coriander, corn meal, cream, eggs, and salt in the food processor, mix until the corn is pureed.
Wrapping the humitas is probably the most complicated step – watch this video for a quick and easy visual explanation!
Next, place the humitas in the steamer, keep them slightly inclined with the open end on top. Place any leftover husks on top and cover well
Now, boil water and place the steamer on top. Reduce to a simmer and steam for about 35-40 minutes. The humitas will be slightly firm to the touch when they are ready.
Finally, serve warm with a tomato salsa