Blueberry, Blue Corn, & Juniper Ash Nijilo'i With Prickly Pear & Sunflower Seed cream

Tamales are well known by the world, but these little gems are called Nijilo'i by Navajo people. It means ''you tote it around with a handle'' named after the bundle tied with husk strips.

Some more contemporary recipes call for wheat or sugar but I wanted to make these as healthy as possible and stay away from refined sugars and flours. In a different time, yellow or white corn would be chewed by women to make it ferment and sweeten the corn ''naturally''.

I made these with beautiful organic Navajo blue corn & juniper ash but it is possible to create this dish with the blue corn/lime mixture from the store. It won't have the exact same taste but for some this will be the only way to try the recipe !

You can replace the blueberries in this dish with another berry if you would like! There are so many variations you can make with this dish. You could add 1/3 cup agave or maple syrup to the berries before cooking them down to sweeten the dish. For a more whole food plant based recipe that is sweeter you can add date syrup or blended dates to the berries. You want to make sure that you are getting 2 cups of liquid into the corn mixture. So if you don't have enough liquid you can add water or if you have too much just set the berry mixture aside and use to top the nijilo'i.

Blueberry, Blue Corn, & Juniper Ash Nijilo'i With Prickly Pear & Sunflower Seed cream

For The Blue Corn Dough

• 2 Cups Blue Corn

• 2 Tablespoons Juniper Ash

• Optional 1 Teaspoon Salt

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients well together. Make sure to sift the juniper ash before adding to the blue corn. You can use store bought blue corn/lime flour instead. You could also use a different type of corn if blue is too hard to find. Set aside in a GLASS bowl. Metal can react with the juniper ash.

For the Blueberry Mixture

• 18 oz Of Well Rinsed Blueberries

• Optional 1/3 Cup Of Maple Syrup/Agave/Date Syrup

• Optional 1 Tablespoon Of Vegan Butter/Oil/Sunflower cream ( I did not use this, but you can)

• Corn Husks

Directions

1. Soak corn husks in water for at least 10 minutes.

2. Put all ingredients into a pan and turn on medium. You do not have to add anything but blueberries if you are fine with a less sweet and less fat recipe. Cook down the berries until many are mush, there is a deep purple color, and it resembles a jam. You want it to be hot when you add it to the blue corn mixture.

3. Measure out the berry mixture 1 cup at at time and add to the blue corn mixture. Mine equaled out to exactly 2 cups, which is about what you want.

4. Mix the dough and berries together. the dough should not be too sticky. If it is you can add a little more blue corn. You should be able to touch it and not get it stick to your hands. If it is too dry add a bit of hot water, a little at a time.

Directions For Assembly & Cooking

1. Take the dough and add to the corn husks. Roll the husks around the dough and tie off like a tamale. Try to make them uniform in size so they cook evenly.

2. You can either steam them, put them in an instant pot, or boil in water.

If you are cooking in an instant pot- put a steam basket in the bottom and add about a cop or so of water. The water should not go above the steam basket/trivet. Add the nijilo'i standing up and give enough room for the heat to reach them evenly. Cook for 25 minutes/10 natural release.

If boiling- Fill pot with water and bring to a boil. Add bundles. Reduce heat to a slow boil and cook for 1 hour. Add more water if it cooks down too much.

If steaming- Set up your steam pot and bring water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the nijilo'i standing up, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. make sure to add water to the pot if it runs too low.

Make sure to let them sit and cool down for at least 15 minutes. These freeze well!

Prickly Pear & Sunflower Seed Cream

• 1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds/ pinon/cashews ( Soaked in water for a few hours or overnight if you do not have a high powered blender. Alternatively you can boil them for 10 minutes in a pinch)

• 2-3 Fresh or Frozen Prickly Pears Blended & Strained ( You can also use a prickly pear syrup or pirckly pear powder. I dehydrate mine and turn it into a powder I can use all year around)

• Optional Sweetener Like Agave/Maple Syrup/ Date Syrup or Date Sugar

• Optional Lemon Juice From 1/2 Lemon

Directions

1. If using a fresh prickly pear blend it and strain it first. Then add the liquid to the sunflower seeds in a blender. Blend together until it creates a silky cream.

2. Add sweetener if using to taste. Start with 2 Tablespoons, blend then taste test again.

3. If you want to add some acidic brightness to the cream add juice from 1/2 lemon.

4. If using powder prickly pear you will need to add a bit of liquid to the sunflower seeds to make a cream. Start with 1/4 cup water or even a nut milk of choice.