Chilean humitas — fresh corn and basil parcels steamed in their own husks
Chilean humitas step by step: starchy corn ground with onion and basil, wrapped in the corn's own husks and simmered. With the tying explained and the mistakes that make them fall apart.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Husk the corn and keep the leaves
Cut the base off each ear with a knife to free the husks whole. Discard the outer, greener, tougher leaves (keep a few to line the pot) and set aside the inner ones — wider, softer and paler: these wrap the humitas. You need about 4 leaves per humita. Remove the silk and rinse the leaves. If any are dry or torn, soak them for 10 minutes in warm water so they turn pliable.
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Cut the kernels and grind the corn
Cut the kernels off the cobs with a knife into a large bowl, tilting each cob so nothing is lost. Grind the kernels with the basil in a food processor or blender in short bursts: the paste should stay coarse, with the texture of broken kernels, not a smooth purée. A paste that is too fine gives gummy humitas. If your corn is sweet corn (watery and sugary), add 2-3 tablespoons of cornmeal or semolina to absorb the liquid; starchy corn needs none.
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Soften the onion
Melt the lard in a wide pot over medium heat and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 8-10 minutes, until translucent and soft without colouring. For spicy humitas, add the chili in the last 2 minutes. Raw onion inside a humita stays hard and sharp: do not skip this step.
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Cook the corn paste over low heat
Add the corn paste to the onion, then the salt and sugar, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 10-12 minutes. The paste must thicken until it pulls away from the sides and bottom of the pot: a spoon dragged through leaves a channel that takes a few seconds to close. If it is very dry and sticks, add the milk a little at a time. Taste for salt. Let it cool for 10 minutes: hot paste runs out of the leaves when you wrap.
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Wrap and tie the humitas
Cross two leaves in an X on the counter, bases pointing outwards, and lay two more on top in the same position to reinforce. Put 3-4 heaped tablespoons of paste in the centre. Fold the long sides over the filling first, then fold the ends towards the middle to form a rectangular parcel. Tie with string around the middle (or in a cross if the leaves are short), firmly but not so tight that the leaf tears. Repeat until the paste is used up: you get 8 medium humitas.
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Simmer the humitas
Line the bottom of a large pot with the reserved outer leaves and pack the humitas on top, standing or in layers, snug so they do not move. Cover with hot water and the tablespoon of salt and bring to the boil. Lower to medium and cook uncovered for 35-40 minutes, keeping the humitas submerged. They are done when the leaf peels away easily from the paste and the parcel feels firm.
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Drain and serve
Lift the humitas out with a slotted spoon and stand them in a colander for 5 minutes: straight out of the water the paste is soft and finishes setting as it rests. Serve in the husk, opening the parcel at the table. The classic way is with granulated sugar on top, or savoury with ensalada chilena or chili on the side.
Foodtastico Tip
Make double the paste and freeze half the humitas already simmered and drained, in bags with the husk on: they go from the freezer into boiling water for 20 minutes and come out as if freshly made. Raw paste also freezes, but loses texture when you wrap it.
Nutrition information
| Calories | 320 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 8 g |
| Carbs | 48 g |
| Sugars | 9 g |
| Fat | 12 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
Values per serving (1 of 4).
Frequently asked questions
Which corn do I use for humitas: starchy field corn or sweet corn?
Starchy corn — choclo humero or pastelero in Chile, field or dent corn elsewhere — is ideal: large, floury kernels with little water, so the paste thickens on its own and the humitas hold firm. Sweet corn (the kind sold for boiling) is full of water and sugar: the paste turns runny and the humita falls apart in the pot. If sweet corn is all you can find, cook the paste longer until it thickens and add 2-3 tablespoons of cornmeal or semolina. Frozen starchy kernels work just as well as fresh.
Are humitas sweet or savoury?
The paste is the same — salted with a touch of sugar to lift the corn — and each person finishes it at the table: with granulated sugar on top (the most common way in central Chile) or with chili, tomato and ensalada chilena to eat them savoury. The only choice in the kitchen is whether to add chili to the paste (spicy humitas) or not. If everyone prefers them sweet, raise the sugar in the paste to 2 tablespoons.
Why do my humitas fall apart or turn watery?
Almost always one of three causes: the paste was not cooked enough before wrapping (it must pull away from the pot, not be liquid), the corn was sweet corn rather than starchy corn (too much water), or the tie was loose and water got into the parcel. They also break if the water boils hard: keep a medium simmer and do not move them while cooking. And let them rest drained for 5 minutes before opening: fresh out of the water they always seem softer than they are.
Can I make humitas without corn husks?
Yes. If you bought loose or frozen kernels, wrap the paste in foil folded into a parcel (you lose the husk aroma, but it works), or bake the paste in greased ramekins or a dish at 180 °C for 35-40 minutes: that is the humita en fuente, or 'humita pie', served with a spoon. Dried husks are also sold in Latin markets: soak them 20 minutes in hot water and they turn pliable.
How many humitas per person, and how do I store them?
As a main course, 2 medium humitas per person; as a side for a barbecue or a starter, 1. Cooked, they keep 3 days in the fridge inside their husk, and reheat over steam or in boiling water for 10 minutes (never uncovered in the microwave: they dry out). Frozen, cooked and well drained, they last 3 months: they go straight from the freezer into boiling water for 20 minutes.
What is the difference between a humita, a tamale and pastel de choclo?
A Chilean humita is only ground corn with onion and basil, no filling, wrapped in a fresh corn husk and simmered. A tamale (Mexico, Central America) uses nixtamalised corn dough with a meat or chicken filling, wrapped in a dried husk or banana leaf and steamed. Peruvian and northern Argentine humitas are closer to the Chilean one but usually carry cheese or chili. And pastel de choclo is the same corn paste baked in a dish over a beef filling, with no leaves.
Can humitas be made ahead for the 18th?
They are one of the dishes that suits making ahead best. Keep the cooked, cooled paste in the fridge for up to 24 hours and wrap and simmer on the day, or cook them completely the day before and reheat for 10 minutes in boiling water before serving. The only thing to do fresh is open them: the husk dries out if they sit open for long.
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