Corn Polenta ii

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We made this Corn Polenta ii recipe with a bit of a twist. With curry leaves, the polenta has a unique fragrance.  The fresh curry leaves give the real essence of their taste, whereas the dried curry leaves have a very mild flavor. You can cook it coconut milk, and that gives it an extra smooth flavor. You can serve with any number of vegetables and sauces. You can buy curry leaves in most Asian stores.

Polenta is a typical dish in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. It has many names across the globe but has the same quality of goodness.  There are many names for it in sub-Saharan Africa. ‘Pap’ is called in many places in Africa and known as ‘mielie pap’ in Afrikaans or ‘maize porridge’ in South Africa. In Zimbabwe, it’s called ‘isitshwala’ in the Isindebele language and ‘Sadza’ in the Shona language. In Malawi and Zambia, it is called ‘nsima.’ In Nigeria, ‘phaletšhe’ or ‘Ogi/Akamu.’  The Bantu people in Botswana called it ‘mielie meal’ and known as ‘ugali’ in Kenya and Tanzania.

When mixed with vegetables or relish as it is called in Africa, it is a full meal cheap and easy to make. In Asia, it’s also called polenta and most commonly known as ‘Uppuma’ in India and eaten with coconut chutney, tomato chutney, or just as it is. In most South America, polenta can also be classified as arepa, in Brazil they called it ‘Angu.’

For today’s recipe, we give polenta an extra creamy texture from the coconut milk–then give it a boost of flavor by topping it with curry leaves and coriander leaves. Read the recipe below to learn more.

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Corn Polenta

Mains

Serves: 8

Cooking Time: 30 min

Corn soothes aggravated Kapha and Pitta doshas. It can help with general weakness and anorexia. It nourishes the Rasa Dhatu (plasma) and is known to help in regulating blood pressure and reducing water retention. It is also known to be helpful in the management of urinary incontinence as well.

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp fresh curry leaves
• 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
• 1 small bunch of fresh coriander leaves
• Garnish:
• 1 tbsp curry leaves,
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp coconut cream
• 4 tbsp grated fresh coconut

Instructions

1

Add all spices into a saucepan over medium heat and sweat these for about a minute.

2

Then add cornmeal polenta and roast for another 1-2 minutes.

3

Add water a little at a time, while continuously stirring the polenta to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. As you see it getting thicker, add more water.

4

When all the water is finished, add coconut milk slowly and continue stirring.

5

When the polenta gets to a state where it is way less viscous and resists the ladle when being stirred, transfer to a flat pan and spread it out evenly so you can cut them into cake portions later on.

6

Let it sit for at least 10 minutes, or until no longer steaming. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 2-3 hours or until it sets and becomes firm. You can also opt to chill this in the refrigerator to set for at least 1 1/2 hours. Then you can cut the polenta into portions.

7

For the garnish, add coconut oil In a saucepan and sauté all the finely chopped curry leaves, coriander leaves, and caraway seeds.

8

Add the coconut cream and freshly grated coconut, stirring it until it's slightly brown.

9

Remove from pan and pour over the polenta and serve it hot.