Stovetop Creamy Polenta
Things have a weird way of working out sometimes. As you all might already know, my husband does the regular grocery shopping since I find it tedious. I enjoy going to specialty stores and pick up new ingredients 🙂 In the past I’d asked my husband to pick up Polenta (flour) several times and he’d never been able to find it in the supermarket. And couple of weeks ago when I ordered Flour online (lockdown times), they substituted it with Corn Meal, which I found out is Polenta!!! 🙂
So made creamy Polenta tonight, served with Roasted Veggies and Tomato Basil Sauce on the side!!
Topped with more Cheese for kids and Chili Flakes for me 😀
What you’ll need:
- Polenta/Corn Meal – 1 cup
- Water – 4 cups
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Butter – 2 tbsps (or more if you desire)
- Cheese (Grated Parmesan) – 1/2 cup
Note: You can also double the recipe. And for a vegan take on it, replace Butter with Olive Oil and Cheese with Vegan Cheese.
Method:
- In a sauce pan, bring the water to a boil. Add the Salt.
- Reduce to low heat. With one hand slowly and at even speed, pour the polenta into the water. With the other hand, continuous mix with a whisk to avoid any lumps. (If you’ve made upma, this is exactly like that).
- Let it simmer and thicken for about 5 mins. Mix with whisk periodically.
- After 5 mins, cover the pot and let it simmer on low. Every 5 mins, give it a mix.
- Continue cooking for about 30 minutes, mixing at every 5 min intervals.
- Take to make sure it grains are cooked and tender. It will look creamy and will have thickened.
- Switch off heat. Mix in the Butter and Cheese. Cover and set aside for 5 mins.
Scoop onto a serving bowl. And optionally add a bit more butter or cheese if you like. Enjoy with a side of your choice!
I sprinkled some Red Chili flakes over it and made some Roasted Vegetables (Recipe Here) to go with it. Some Tomato Basil Sauce on the side was perfect!
