Mmmmhhhhh … hallaquitas (tamales)! Seriously, every bite was a delight. I don’t know whether it was because it had been so long since I had one, or what, but I don’t think these hallaquilas needed anything else. Maybe the wrapping would not have been approved by a “pro”, but the taste and texture could not have been better. In Venezuela, hallaquitas are very popular. They are made with cornflour, combined with anise seeds, chicharron (fried pork skin), or the ones I made today that are known as seasoned hallaquitas. They are usually eaten as a side dish with grilled beef or roasted chicken. I remember there was a food truck, near my home in Venezuela, that sold grilled meat with hallaquitas, and right next to it, there was another food truck selling tostadas and hot dogs. My husband, at that time my boyfriend, and I loved to eat there. It was also very cheap. This is a recipe I have wanted to make for quite some time. This was my first attempt, so I checked with several people before I made them. I checked in my Venezuelan recipe cookbook, and of course, I had my mom’s number on speed dial in case any problem arose. Thank goodness nothing happened. The whole process was very easy. I started at around 10 am, and they were ready for lunch, at 1 pm. I also prepared a cilantro mojo sauce, and it was insanely good! These Hallaquitas are ideal for the summertime, in which we eat a lot of grilled meats. They are the perfect side dish, and now that I know how easy they are to make, they will be on my menu more often.
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