Name: Chilean steamed corn cakes (Humitas)
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: Chilean
Ingredients: Tomato and Onion Salad to serve; 12 large corn on the cob, with husks; salt and black pepper; a bunch of fresh basil, finely chopped; 30 ml/2 tbsp lard or white cooking fat; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 15 ml/1 tbsp paprika; 250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup full-fat (whole) milk; 1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped

Preparation info

Serves
8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Food and Cooking of Chile

By Boris Basso Benelli

Published 2014

About

A traditional recipe passed down through many generations, humitas are similar to Mexican tamales, and are eaten in vast quantities all over Chile. They are made from fresh corn, which is ground and mixed with salt and lard and then wrapped in corn husks and steamed. They are delicious, and fun to make.

Ingredients

12 large corn on the cob, with husks
30 ml/2 tbsp lard or

Method

Cut the ends off of the corn on the cob, then carefully remove the layers of husk, reserving the widest ones in pairs to make the wrappers for the tamales.
Slice the corn from the cob with a sharp knife, standing the cob up on a board and cutting downwards. Grind the kernels in a blender, until a smooth paste forms.