Humitas
Humitas belong to a family of corn dishes found across the entire Andean mountain chain, under different names — humita in Ecuador, Peru or Argentina, hallaca or tamal in other parts of Latin America. The word's root comes from the Quechua "jumint'a", which means exactly what the dish is: a cooked corn paste, wrapped. Unlike tamales, which often use dried ground corn, Ecuadorian humitas are defined by fresh sweet corn, picked at the optimal moment of ripeness. Choosing raw corn over flour completely changes the technique: the starch in the fresh kernels binds naturally when steamed, without needing added water or pre-cooking, unlike recipes based on dried flour, which require separate hydration. Fresh corn husks, used straight off the cob instead of dried ones, fold without cracking and themselves lend an extra vegetal aroma to the filling during steaming.
Fresh sweet corn is grated or blended, not corn flour
The raw kernels' natural starch binds the mixture, while dried flour would give a dense, polenta-like texture
The butter is worked in at room temperature, whipped into the corn paste
Cold butter wouldn't blend evenly; whipped in, it lightly aerates the mixture before steaming
The parcels are tied tightly in fresh corn husks, not dried ones
Fresh husks stay flexible and fold without cracking, sealing the mixture well inside
The parcels cook by steam, standing upright, not in boiling water
Steam cooks evenly without washing the flavors into the water, and the upright position keeps water from seeping into the parcels
Ingredients 4 servings
- 10-12 ears of sweet corn, husks kept whole
- 150g butter, at room temperature
- 150g mild yellow cheese, grated
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- Kitchen twine, for tying the parcels
How to make it
- 1PREPARE THE CORN: carefully peel the husks off the corn cobs, keeping them whole, then grate the corn kernels or blend them coarsely.
- 2WHIP THE BUTTER: whip the soft butter until fluffy, then incorporate the eggs, one at a time.
- 3COMBINE: add the grated corn, sugar and salt to the butter, mix well, then fold in the grated cheese.
- 4FILL THE HUSKS: place 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture in the center of each corn husk, fold the edges over the filling, forming a rectangular parcel.
- 5TIE: tie each parcel with kitchen twine or with thin strips cut from other corn husks.
- 6STEAM: stand the parcels upright in a large pot with a little water at the bottom, on a steamer rack or metal sieve, cover and steam 45-50 minutes.
- 7SERVE: let cool slightly before unwrapping the husks, serve warm.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
