Lina Lastra, from Colombia, shows how to make hallacas (banana leaf parcels).
So she learned to cook Colombian food in New Zealand. She is involved with Grupo Hispano Otago, who share food and culture so their children don't lose their Latin American heritage.
Hallacas are similar to Mexican tamales, a meat filling in a cornmeal dough, wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed and popular all over Latin America. In Colombia they are traditionally eaten at Christmas but they are also a popular street food.
Makes 30 parcels
Hallacas can be made small as an appetiser or large as a main and everyone has their favourite fillings - pork, egg, beef, carrots, chicken or a mix.
They taste better the day after they've been made, she says.
Although they are time-consuming to make, they freeze well and Lina reheats them in the microwave for a minute then uses a sandwich press or grill to brown the outsides.
At home, friends would often get together to fold the hallaca parcels.
Ingredients
For the chicken and stock
10 chicken drumsticks
1 chicken stock cube
½ cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped spring onion
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
For the dough
125g vegetable shortening
4 medium potatoes
4 cups maseca (maize flour)
For the filling
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can (410g) creamed corn
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
50g capers (or more if you like)
1 cup raisins
salt and pepper to taste
For the wrapping
1 bag of banana leaves
cotton string to tie the parcels
Method
To cook chicken and make the chicken stock
Put the chicken drumsticks, celery, spring onion, chicken stock cube, carrots, 1tsp of cumin, basil, oregano and thyme in a large pot and cover with water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
When the chicken is cooked, remove the drumsticks from the stock and shred the meat. Set aside for the filling.
Strain the stock and return to the pot. Add the vegetable shortening and allow it to melt in the hot stock.
To make the dough
Peel, cook and mash the potatoes. Put the maize flour in a bowl, add the mashed potato. Mix to a soft dough with about four cups of the stock and salt and pepper to taste. The dough should be moist but not runny.
To prepare the filling
Heat oil in a frying pan. Add onion and garlic and allow to cook before adding shredded chicken, capers, raisins, tsp of curry powder, 1 tsp of cumin, basil, oregano, and thyme, and the soy sauce. Stir and allow to heat through.
To assemble
To soften the banana leaves so they don't crack when you fold them, wash them in hot water and let them sit in hot water for a few minutes until soft. They should still be wet when you stuff them.
Cut the leaves into 15cm by 20cm rectangles.
Place a tea towel on the bench and put two banana leaves on it in a cross shape. Place about half a cup of the dough in the centre and flatten, making a dip in the middle for the filling.
Put about a tablespoon of the filling in the middle of the dough and shape it up and over the filling to enclose it.
Fold the leaf over the dough and tuck the ends in to form a parcel. Fold the second leaf in the same way to enclose the hallaca twice. Tie with string like a parcel, but not so tightly that you break the leaves.
Repeat until all the hallacas are wrapped.
Boil a pot of water and place the hallacas in a steamer basket. The water level should be below the steamer. Put a tea towel over the steamer and the lid on top so the steam doesn't escape.
It can take an hour to an hour and a-half to cook the hallacas, depending on how many are in the pot.
When they are cooked, rest for five minutes then serve, either still wrapped or unwrapped (you have to cut the thread to undo them).
Tips
• Banana leaves are available at Chinese or Indian grocery stores, or you can use cling film, but the flavour will not be the same.
• Lina likes to use her hands to mix the dough, as she can see how thick it is and add more liquid if necessary.
• Some people use only one leaf to wrap each hallaca but Lina likes to use two to make sure they are secure.
• If you don't have a steamer basket, you can use a metal (not plastic) colander.
• A useful tip is to place a coin in the bottom of the pot. It will jiggle as the water boils and you will hear when it stops and the water needs topping up.
• If you wish to freeze the hallacas, allow to cool first; they store for up to three months.
• Thanks to Afife Harris and Centre City New World.
