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📍 Michoacán

Corundas (Michoacán triangular tamales)

· Breakfast

A triangular tamal of masa wrapped in a corn-plant leaf, served with crema, salsa, and cheese.

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Corundas (Michoacán triangular tamales): A triangular tamal of masa wrapped in a corn-plant leaf, served with crema, salsa, and cheese.
Photo: Gabriel Flores Romero · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto resized, converted to WebP and cropped for display.
⏱ 100 min🍽 6 servings📊 Intermediate🏷 Commonly associated
Preparation
40 min
Cooking
60 min
Waiting and resting
0 min

History

A Purépecha tamal from Michoacán with its characteristic triangular shape; it's wrapped in the long leaf of the corn plant rather than in the dried husk.

Ingredients

Adjust quantities

Only numeric quantities at the start of an ingredient are adjusted. Descriptive quantities, seasoning to taste and timings remain unchanged; check them when changing servings.

Preparation

  1. 1

    Beat the lard until fluffy and work in the masa with salt and baking powder.

  2. 2

    Place a portion of masa on the green leaf.

  3. 3

    Fold the leaf at angles to form the characteristic triangle.

  4. 4

    Steam the corundas for about an hour.

  5. 5

    Let them rest a few minutes before unwrapping.

  6. 6

    Serve bathed with crema, red salsa, and cheese.

Cooking tips

  • Keep boiling water below the rack without touching the parcels and top up with hot water as needed.

Technique and preparation

What to check during preparation

Clean the leaves and check that they bend without tearing; soften stiff leaves before wrapping. The dough should hold its shape without escaping through the folds. Leave space between bundles in the steamer for steam circulation and prevent the water reservoir from drying out. Open a test bundle: cooked dough should release from the leaf. Let the remaining bundles rest briefly before unwrapping.

References to consult

References provide information about the dish, its context or a technique. Quantities in this version may differ from those in the source.

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