We find a rich history and many varied ingredients in and around the Amazon Basin and the surrounding South American nationalities, but one common theme pops up; stuffing. Stuffing various mixtures into tortillas (burritos), pastry (empanadas) and really, into anything that can act as a shell or a container.

So let’s play with that idea with our Humitas Amazonia with Chicken and Chilies. We’ll begin with the humble, Humita, similar to a Tamale as you move north into Central America and Mexico. Humita (from Quechua humint'a) is a Native American dish from pre-Hispanic times, and a traditional food in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, although their origin is unclear. In Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Peru they are known as humitas, in Bolivia as humintas, in Brazil as pamonha, and in Venezuela as hallaquitas. It consists of masa harina and corn, slowly steamed or boiled in a pot of water. In Argentina, humitas are prepared with fresh corn, sautéed onions and some spices, depending on the region or taste. The dough is wrapped in corn husks and boiled. It is also common to add some diced cheese to the dough, typically queso fresco or goat cheese. In Argentina, the term humita also refers to the creamy-corn filling of an empanada (in Spanish, empanada de humita). Humitas in Chile are prepared with fresh corn, onion, basil, and butter or lard. They are wrapped in corn husks and baked or boiled. They may contain ají verde (green chili pepper). The humitas are kept together during cooking with thread or twine. They can be made savory, sweet, or sweet and sour, served with added sugar, chile pepper, salt, tomato, olive and paprika etc. As in Chile, Ecuadorian humitas are prepared with fresh ground corn with onions, eggs and spices that vary from region to region, and also by each family's tradition. The dough is wrapped in a corn husk, but is steamed rather than baked or boiled. Ecuadorian humitas may also contain cheese. This dish is so traditional in Ecuador that they have developed special pots just for cooking humitas. In Peru and Bolivia, mainly in the central Andes region, humitas are prepared with fresh corn combined with lard and salt and queso fresco for a savory dish or with fresh corn with lard, sugar, cinnamon and raisins for a sweet dish. These humitas are prepared with corn wrapped in corn husks and can be cooked in boiling water, placed in a pachamanca oven, or steamed. We’ll take a page out of all of these different cookbooks and combine them to make our own Humitas.

Onward to cooking our amazing Humitas Amazonia with Chicken and Chilies:

Humitas Amazonia with Chicken and Chilies:

Ingredients:

8 medium ears fresh corn in husks
2 TBSPs extra virgin olive oil
1 cup shredded Rotisserie-style cooked chicken
1 onion, minced
2 plum tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Serrano peppers, seeded and minced
2 long, green chilies, such as New Mexican, seeded and diced
1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup evaporated nonfat milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp organic sea salt
1/4 tsp all natural salt substitute such as Mrs. Dash™
1/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
1 cup shredded Manchego cheese or Tofu cheese

Preparation:

• Husk the corn, leaving the larger, outer leaves for wrapping the humitas. Slice the corn from the cobs reserving the bare cobs. Mince the corn into tiny pieces. Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat and then stir in the onion and garlic, sautéing for 5 minutes . Stir in shredded chicken, salt, pepper, salt substitute, Serrano peppers, green chilies, and yellow pepper, sautéing for another 5 minutes, then stir the chicken and pepper mixture into the chopped corn. Stir in the milk, basil, tomatoes, and Manchego cheese.
• Boil a few inches of water in a large pot and fill a separate container with cold water. Dunk the corn husks into the boiling water for about 10 seconds then immediately dunk them into the cold water, then drain and set aside.
• Place few TBSPs of the filling onto the bottom of a large husk or two smaller husks overlapped. Fold the bottom over once, then fold in the sides, and continue rolling into a packet then tie with kitchen twine. Repeat with all remaining filling.
• To cook humitas, form a grid with the reserved bare cobs at the bottom of a large Dutch oven, four facing vertical, four on top of those facing horizontal, forming a platform to steam the humitas. Pour about 2-inches of water into the pan, set the humitas on top of the cobs then cover the pot, bring water to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce heat to medium and steam for 1 hour. Serve hot.