Appetites: Plant-forward cooking traditions from Central America

You’ve heard about plant-based cooking, but what about plant-forward cooking?

Many cultures have emphasized plants in their cooking for centuries without going full-out restrictive.

Chef Amalia Moreno-Damgaard recently returned from travels in the Mayan Highlands and Guatemalan Lowlands. She shared some plant-forward inspiration on this week’s Appetites.

Press play above to listen to her conversation with MPR News host Emily Bright.

Recipe: Boxboles

Corn Masa Dumplings in Chayote Leaves with Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seed Sauce: excerpt from Amalia’s “Mesoamerican Table-Ancient Traditions with Gourmet Infusions Cookbook.”

Makes 20-26 dumplings

Masa (Dough)

• ¼ cup instant corn masa flour

• ¼ cup water (or vegetable or chicken stock)

• 2 teaspoons canola oil or shortening

• ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

Iguaxte (Sauce)

Makes 1 cup

• ½ cup pepitoria (shelled pumpkin seeds)

• 1 large Roma tomato, dry pan roasted

• 2 medium tomatillos, husked, dry pan roasted

• 1 small onion, cut into ½-inch slices, dry pan roasted

• 2 small garlic cloves, dry pan roasted

• 1 teaspoon Cobán chile powder (or other spicy ground chile)

• ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt

20-26 fresh chayote leaves and vines (if available)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl combine the corn flour and salt with the water and mix with a sturdy spatula to make soft dough. Pick up the dough with your hands, make a ball, make an indentation in the dough, and insert the shortening in the dough. Enclose the shortening inside the dough and knead the dough gently in the bowl until the dough looks very smooth, about 3 minutes. 

2. Form the boxboles. Put a couple of teaspoons of dough at the top of each leaf, upper side up. With fingers, while holding the leaf in your palm, gently smear the masa from top to bottom, to cover the leaf, put one piece of vine (if available) in the center with the spiral sticking out at the top of the leaf, and roll them loosely lengthwise in a cigar-like fashion. Then flatten them slightly to secure the masa inside. Repeat until all dough and leaves are used. Set aside.

3. Dry pan roast the pumpkin seeds and keep a close eye as they can burn easily. Pan roast the tomato, tomatillos, onion and garlic, until charred all over and mushy. This whole process can take 12-15 minutes. Purée this mixture with the chile powder and salt in a blender to make a fine and smooth pasty purée. Transfer to a serving bowl.

4. In a medium pot with a steamer basket, stack the boxboles horizontally and evenly throughout the basket. Steam them until cooked, at medium-low heat, making sure the water does not touch them, 20-25 minutes. Boxboles are cooked when the leaves have turned darker green and the dough is slightly shiny, not opaque.

5. Serve the boxboles with the spicy sauce on the side.

Amalia’s Notes:

• Look for Cobán chile powder online.

• Use squash leaves from home gardens or order them through farmers markets.

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