Place the corn husks in a large bowl and cover them completely with very warm water and place something heavy on top of them to keep them submerged. Soak for about 30 minutes until softened.
Mix the masa dough
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a large stand mixer, add 6 cups of masa, 1 tablespoon cumin, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder then mix until combined.
Add the 3/4 cup of melted refined coconut oil, then beat on low speed until combined.
Then slowly add the vegan broth, and beat on low speed until combined. Once all of the broth has been added, increase speed to medium, and beat for 8 minutes until fluffy. Stop occasionally and scrape the sides of the bowl if needed.
Add 1 cup of New Mexico red chile sauce to the batter and beat again for 2 more minutes until it's well incorporated. (You can refrigerate your dough at this point if you are not ready to assemble the tamales.)
Prepare your fillings
Carne - Saute 1/2 an onion and 2 cloves of crushed garlic in 2 tablespoons of cooking oil until the onion is translucent. Then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and add 2 cups of vegan beef crumbles (sub jackfruit, pinto beans, vegan chicken, vegan ham, or vegan steak). Cook until the vegan meat is heated through, then add 1 cup of red chile sauce and 1 cup of vegan cheese.
Spinach - Warm 4 cloves of minced garlic in 2 tablespoons of cooking oil for about 5 minutes. Pour in 10 oz of baby spinach and sprinkle with a little salt, then cover with a lid. Stir every few minutes until wilted.
Corn and Bean - Saute 1/2 an onion in 2 tablespoons of oil until translucent. Add a can of black beans that have been drained and rinsed along with 1 cup of frozen corn and 2 teaspoons of cumin. (This is also good with 1/2 cup of green chile added.)
Green Chile Cheese - Mix 1 cup of New Mexican green chile sauce with 1 cup of vegan cheese.
Assemble the tamales
To assemble the tamales, place a soaked cornhusk flat on the countertop with the pointy side toward you. Take about 1/4 cup of the dough and spread it onto the top half of the cornhusk about 1/2 inch from the top making a square about 5 inches wide and a little less than 1/2 inch thick. (You can wet your fingers so that the dough won't stick and easily shape the dough with your hands.)
Place about 2 tablespoons of filling down the center of the dough.
Pick up both sides of the cornhusk and have the edges meet in the center over the top of the filling. Then tuck one side of the corn husk into the other and wrap it into a burrito shape.
Pick up the bottom of the corn husk and fold it up tight to the bottom of the tamale. Use a long skinny piece of cornhusk (or culinary string) to tie around the tamale and keep it from opening up during the steaming process.
Repeat this process until you have a steamer basket full of tamales.
Cover with a lid and steam the tamales for 35 minutes. Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes before eating. (They will be a little soft when they come out of the steamer, but firm up significantly as they cool.)
Serve topped with red chile sauce, green chile sauce, or salsa. Tamales are much better when served with a sauce. Red or green chile sauce is traditional and a mix of both is called "Christmas!"
Video
Notes
Don't make these alone. It's a lot of assembly. Have some friends or family help and set up an assembly line.
Keep a bowl of water on the countertop next to you to dip your fingers in. The masa dough won't stick to wet fingers.