Cabbage and Banana Tamale

Feeds 5

This dish was created with donated food as part of the Everybody Eats Cook-Off. 

Banana and Cabbage Tamales - by chef Maxime Gnojczak Photo: Everybody Eats

Banana filling

Ingredients

• 2 well-ripened green bananas
• 1 cabbage, white or savoy
• 1 cup banana flour
• 1 cup coarse cornflour
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 cups oat milk
• 3/4 cup oil (I used sunflower on the day)

Method

1. Place green banana in a pot, cover with water. Boil until the skin turns completely brown and you can easily poke a knife through the flesh.

2. Gently peel the largest cabbage leaves one after the other. Blanch or steam them until they soften. Immediately cool in cold water. Save the inner smaller leaves for later.

3. Peel the bananas and place in a bowl. Use a potato masher to crush them in a paste.

4. Add all the dry ingredients and mix in a paste.

5. Slowly incorporate the oat milk until the consistency feels like a slightly loose mashed potato.

6. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Assembly

Lay the cooked cabbage leaves on a cutting board. Trim the hard core of the leaves and keep for the salsa.

Place 2 tablespoons of filling at the top centre of the leaf. Fold each side over and gently roll the leaf towards the bottom, just like a mini burrito.

Place on a plate for now and keep on rolling.

Set up a steamer basket and cook the tamale for 10 minutes at full steam.

Serve immediately with a spoon of cabbage salsa.
 

Cabbage Salsa

Ingredients

• Leftover cabbage heart
• Leftover cabbage leaves and core
• 2 x tomatoes
• 1x shallot
• 1x bunch coriander
• ¼ bunch mint
• ¼ bunch of parsley
• ¼ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup olive oil

Method

Chop all cabbage, shallot, tomatoes, and herbs finely. Add remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. If you enjoy, add some fresh finely chopped chilli.