Piquant Tamales

The corn husks: Submerge the husks in a pan of warm water for 2 to 3 hours.

Vegetable filling: In a bowl, combine the eggplant and salt and let stand for 20 minutes.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat and sauté the onions and garlic until wilted. Squeeze the moisture from the eggplant and add the onion mixture. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, and chile peppers and sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in the corn meal and set aside to cool.

Masa mixture: In a mixing bowl, beat the lard with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until soft and light. Add the masa harina and salt and mix thoroughly. Add enough water to make the mixture spreadable but firm. The amount of water will depend on the coarseness of the masa.

Assemble the tamales: Drain the corn husks. Using 3 or 4 of the split husks, pull off ¼-inch strips going with the grain of the husks to tie the tamales, reserve. With scissors, cut off 1 inch of the pointed smaller end of the husk and discard.

Place the husks on a flat working surface; there will be about 1½ dozen. Place a rounded teaspoon of the masa mixture in the center of the husk and spread it out about 1/8-inch thick. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the vegetable mixture into the center of the masa mixture. Carefully wrap the husks around the masa and filling, pulling the sides around first and folding the top and bottom of the husks toward the center of the tamale to make a neat package. Tie each tamale closed with a corn husk strip.

In a steamer, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Cover the base of the steamer container with a layer of the remaining corn husks, and set the tamales over the husks. Cover and steam for 45 minutes, or until the masa mixture pulls away form the tusks of the tamale.

To check for doneness, open one of the tamales. If not completely cooked, re-tie and continue steaming for another 5 minutes.