Jahuacatas (bean tamales): Michoacán recipe with cornfield ingredients
Learn how to prepare traditional jahuacatas (bean tamales) as made by the chefs of the Purépecha region in Michoacán.
By Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Michoacán Regional Unit—General Directorate of Popular, Indigenous and Urban Cultures
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Jahuacatas (bean tamales): Purépecha tamales
The jahuacatas (bean tamales) or corundas (tamales) are traditional bean tamales that the Purépecha communities of the state of Michoacán usually prepare on Easter, particularly on Good Friday.
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One of the distinctive features of this tamal is that it is made with several layers of masa dough with beans inbetween.
Recetas con ingredientes de la milpa by Cinthya Ireri Vargas CervantesMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Want to know how this delicious and traditional dish is prepared? Let's look at the recipe with the guide of the traditional chef Francisca Ramírez Ángel, from the community of San Lorenzo, town of Uruapan, Michoacán.
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What ingredients are needed?
1) 6.5 pounds (3 kg) of masa dough for tamales
2) 26 ounces (750 g) of beans
3) 10 pieces of chile serrano (serrano pepper)
4) 30 corn leaves
5) Salt
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The process
After bringing the masa dough from the mill, a little water is added to soften it and the dough is kneaded until it fluffs up (when the air starts to come out).
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Separately, the beans are cooked and left slightly stewed (not well cooked). The necessary amount of salt is added to them, drained from the broth and cooled. Then, they are ground with the metate (mealing stone) with the chilis, until they form a soft and manageable paste.
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With the masa dough, tortillas are made a quarter of an inch thick and six inches in diameter.
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Then the bean paste is put on top. The tortilla is cut into four and placed one on top of another so that the masa dough and beans are interspersed.
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The tamales will then be wrapped as corunda (tamales) with the corn leaf.
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Once the jahuacatas (bean tamales) are wrapped in the corn leaves, they will be cooked in acocucha (clay pot), steamed for 45–60 min.
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When the tamales can be removed from the leaf, they are cooked.
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Ready!
These delicious tamales are usually eaten with a cup of coffee or with a guiso (stew) called atapakua.
Michoacán Regional Unit—General Directorate of Popular, Indigenous and Urban Cultures
Recipe written by: Atanacia Campos Méndez and Marta Leticia Román Mares.
Photographs: Cinthya Ireri Vargas Cervantes
Preparation of corundas (tamales): Mrs. Francisca Ramírez Ángel- Traditional chef, community of San Lorenzo, Town of Uruapan, Michoacán.
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