According to Wikipedia – Polenta is an Italian dish made by boiling cornmeal into a thick, solidified porridge, and directly consumed afterwards or baked, fried or grilled. I first prepared polenta, then allowed it to set, then sliced into small squares and made South Indian style polenta upma with lot of vegetables. It was so filling and delicious. Now polenta has become my latest favorite. Learn how to make polenta upma following this easy recipe with step wise pictures.
Polenta with Vegetables-Polenta Upma
Prep Time : 15 mins
Cook Time : 15 mins
Serves: 2
Recipe Category: Breakfast-Dinner
Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Author:Padhu Sankar
Serves: 2
Recipe Category: Breakfast-Dinner
Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Author:Padhu Sankar
Ingredients needed
For Cooking Polento
Polenta -1/4 cup (Instant)
Butter – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
For the Upma
Onion – 1/2 cup chopped
Ginger – 1 inch piece finely chopped
Carrot -1/2 cup chopped
Capsicum – 1/3 cup chopped
Sweet Corn -1/4 cup
Beans – 5-6
Tomato -1
Salt to taste
For the seasoning
Oil – 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli -1
Hing – a pinch
Green Chillies – 2 finely chopped
Curry Leaves – a sprig
For Garnishing
Coriander Leaves – 2 tbsp finely chopped
Preparation
Chop all the vegetables finely.
Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a pan. When water starts boiling, add salt needed, lower the heat and add polenta steadily, stirring constantly. Cook stirring continuously until polenta is thickened. Add a tsp of butter and mix well. You can also add little dried herbs if preferred.
Now pour it into a greased baking tin and smooth out evenly with a spoon or spatula. As it cools, polenta will set. After it cools completely, you can refrigerate it for an hour or until firm.
After 1-2 hours
Invert and remove the set polenta on a tray and cut the polenta into small squares/cubes as shown below. Keep it aside.
Method
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urad dal, hing, red chillies, green chillies and curry leaves.
When dal turns golden brown, add finely chopped onion and ginger. Saute until onion turns transparent.
Then add beans, carrot, sweet corn and cook covered until tender. Sprinkle water if needed.
Add chopped tomatoes, capsicum and salt needed. Cook for a few more minutes until tomatoes become mushy.
Add the polenta squares and mix until well combined.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot. You do not need any side dish for this. If needed you can have it with tomato chutney or sauce.
Note – You can prepare the polenta the previous night and refrigerate.
Check out my Breakfast Polenta Porridge with nuts .
If you found this post useful, I would really love it, if you pin it or share it with your Facebook fans or Twitter followers or Google+ circles today. All it takes is a simple click on the “pin it” “like,” “share,” “tweet,” or Google+ buttons below the post. It will keep me motivated. Thank you!