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Humitas

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5 from 1 review

A summer classic, but very laborious.

  • Total Time: 3 hours and 45 minutes
  • Yield: 16

Ingredients

Units
  • 12 large ears of green corn “Humeros” (or 3 pounds of frozen whole kernel corn plus 4 tablespoons of cornmeal)
  • 2 large onions, chopped into small cubes
  • 2 tablespoons of lard or butter or Color
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 1 tablespoon of paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • small bunch of basil
  • 2 yellow banana or Thai peppers, without seeds and finely chopped
  • pork rinds, optional
  • twine

Instructions

  1. Cut the base of the corn, separate the husks, reserve the large ones, and arrange them into 16 pairs of similar size. Finish cleaning the corn and remove all the corn silk.
    Cutting the base of the corn Leaves pair for Humitas
  2. Using a large knife, cut the corn. You can do it in one pass and then put the kernels through the grinder or food processor. Or in several passes (2-3) so that the kernels are finely chopped, do it as seen in the photo to keep all the juices or milk of the corn. If using frozen corn, grind it in the food processor without defrosting. Use the milk called in the recipe to add some liquid.
    Cutting the corn Fresh corn cut
  3. In a large pot with a thick bottom, heat the butter or the “color” and add the onion. Brown for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the paprika, salt, pepper, and peppers. Stir.
    Humitas mixture
  4. Add the corn and milk, stir well and let it boil. I will thicken. Add the basil and pork rinds if desired. Add the cornmeal if it is necessary to thicken more. The mixture should be firm.
  5. Place three or four large spoons of the mixture on the open husks. Fold first on the sides and then the tips inwards. Tie with twine and give it the traditional bowtie form.
  6. Prepare a steam bath in a big pot. Steam the humitas for 1 hour. Serve hot, and cut the twine on the table. Traditionally in Chile, Humitas are cooked submerged in water (30-40 minutes), but here with the variety of corn is difficult to get the proper wrap and seal on the Humitas, and to prevent leaking is easier to steam.
  7. Serve with Chilean salad.
    Humitas
  • Author: Pilar Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 3 hours
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Stove-cooked
  • Cuisine: Chilean

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 169
  • Sugar: 10.6 g
  • Sodium: 415.4 mg
  • Fat: 4.6 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 31.9 g
  • Fiber: 3.8 g
  • Protein: 5.7 g