Masa Dumplings Recipes

LAMB CHILI WITH MASA HARINA DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Make chili:
• Simmer dried chiles in 2 cups water, covered, in a 2-quart heavy saucepan until very soft, about 20 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup cooking liquid, then drain in a colander. Stem chiles (do not remove seeds), then purée in a blender with reserved cooking liquid until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Force purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Reserve purée.
• Pat lamb dry, then sprinkle with pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Heat 2 tablespoons lard in a 6-quart wide heavy pot or a 3-inch-deep straight-sided skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown lamb in 4 batches (without crowding), turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a bowl.
• Add remaining tablespoon lard to pot, then cook onion, garlic, bay leaves, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add cumin and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Stir in reserved chile purée and chipotles and simmer, stirring frequently and scraping up brown bits from bottom of pot, 5 minutes. Add lamb along with any juices accumulated in bowl and remaining 3 cups water, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until lamb is tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Make dumplings:
• Stir together masa harina, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Blend in lard pieces with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dough is moistened (do not overmix).
• Skim fat off chili and discard bay leaves, then drop 8 or 9 heaping tablespoons of dough onto simmering chili, about 2 inches apart. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, covered, until tops of dumplings are dry to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro.

MEXICAN BEANS WITH MASA DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Clean and sort the beans. Remove any stones or sticks. Rinse under cold water.
• Soak the beans 4-6 hours, or overnight
• Drain the beans and rinse with cold water. Add the beans to a clay bean pot or a large pot. Add enough water to cover the beans with about 2 1/2 -3 inches of water. Add the onion, garlic and pepper if using.
• Bring to a boil and reduce to low. Cook until the beans are tender, about 2-3 hours. The cooking time depends on how old the beans are. Check the beans every so often. If a lot of water has evaporated during the cooking time, add some more water to the beans.
• Once the beans are tender, add in salt to taste. Remove the onion, garlic and pepper if using.
• Check the water level. If you would like your soup more liquidly, add more water to the pot.
• In the last few minutes of the beans cooking, make the dumplings. In a mixing bowl add the Maseca and water. Mix until combined. Add the coconut oil and salt. Knead until a smooth dough comes together.
• Using your hands, make roughly 1 inch sized balls. They don't have to be perfect. Make a dip in the middle with your finger. Makes roughly 12-15 dumplings.
• Once the beans are tender, carefully add the dumplings one by one to the soup. They are delicate and will break apart. Gently give a stir. Make sure that is is on low heat. Cook until the dumplings are cooked all the way through, about 10-15 minutes.Check after 10 minutes. If they are a little slimy, they need to cook longer.
• Serve and enjoy!

BLACK BEAN SOUP WITH MASA HARINA DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Rinse beans in filtered water and put them in a large pot with 6 cups of water. Let them cook for about two hours or until the beans are soft.
• Meanwhile In a bowl mix the masa harina with a tablespoon of oil, the mint, the serrano chile, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 cup of water. Add water gradually until a manageable dough is formed. Make the dumplings.
• In a separate pan add the tablespoon of oil and the chopped onions with half a teaspoon of salt. Sautee the onion for about five to seven minutes.
• Add the cooked onions and all the dumplings to the beans. Cover and let them cook for 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning before serving, adjust if necessary.