It calls for masa harina (corn flour), which is used to make corn tortillas, sopes , tamales, and many other Mexican and Central American foods. Masa harina is readily available in the Hispanic aisle of your grocery store and online. This recipe makes about one dozen tamales so feel free to double, triple, or quadruple this recipe, as needed.
The cornmeal mixture used in tamales is called masa harina. Since cornmeal is too high in carbohydrate to eat on a low carb diet, Emily found a way to make it out of almond flour and flaxseed meal.
Making tamales using masa harina is a good way to make your tamalada (tamal-making party) just a bit easier. Our masa harina is a fine grind, so the texture of your finished tamales will be especially delicate and lovely. If you’re looking for a coarser texture, see our tips for playing around with masa texture, below.
We often use up to 3 cups of masa harina to the 2 (sometimes 3) cups of broth, 1 cup of fat and teaspoon of baking powder. See recipe below for step-by-step instructions.