Polenta, sadly, is the red headed step-child of vegan meals in my life. I’m not sure why; I grew up enjoying an exclusively grits based breakfast (that is until I decided an extra 20 minutes’ sleep was more important than breakfast), so I’ve certainly no aversion to corn based meals. I love corn anything, me. Furthermore it’s not like polenta is difficult to prepare, so I’ve decided to shift its position from odd meal out to frequent table feature. This is my first honest attempt.
There are multiples ways to cook polenta: served as a soft and creamy porridge, cooled and molded for grilling or frying, in pies, in cakes, and more. Here I’ve made a moderately thick batch that I left to cool before shaping into pumpkin filled patties. Last night we had them for dinner with quinoa and today I enjoyed one in a bun for lunch (though they’re a bit soft for a burger). If you opt for the frying method they stay pretty sturdy after cooling down, so would be okay to travel for lunch.
Mashed Pumpkin and Kale Harissa Polenta Patties
- Directions/Method
- Heat the water, soy milk, broth powder, and harissa paste in a medium saucepan to a near boil. Slowly tip in the polenta, whisking continuously until all of the cornmeal is mixed in the pan. It’ll thicken very quickly, so you’ll probably want to switch to a wooden spoon if your wrists aren’t made of steel.
- Turn the heat down to medium low and cook the polenta for 10 minutes, stirring very frequently. The polenta will become thicker and will begin to come away more easily from the sides of the saucepan. Add any additional salt and/or pepper to adjust to your tastes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 20-30 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
- Heat the teaspoon of oil in a frying pan or wok to medium heat and toss the kale around in there for 2-3 minutes, until wilted (a little brown is okay too). Add the lemon juice and garlic, turning the heat down a bit so the garlic doesn’t burn. Tip the pumpkin and spring onion in, mashing everything together. Rub the thyme between between the palms of your hands into the pan (this more strongly brings out its flavour). Stir the lot for 2 minutes and remove from the heat.
- In another frying pan or sauté pan preheat about 1/4 inch deep worth of oil to just above medium heat.
- Divide the polenta into 6 vaguely even portions, rolling each into a ball shape. Use polenta flour to help keep the dough from sticking to your hands if it becomes an issue.
- On a lightly polenta-floured surface, pat the balls down into a flat 1/4 inch thick disk and plop a tablespoon of the pumpkin mash in the centre. Hold the disk in one palm while semi-carefully folding the edges up with the other hand, pinching them together to seal (don’t worry about perfection). Place the lump, sealed side down, back onto the floured work surface and lightly press into a disk that’s about 3.5 inches across (somewhere between 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick).
- Dredge both sides lightly with polenta flour and fry for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and serve.
- Alternatively you can bake at 175 C (350 degrees F) for 30 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Just spray both sides with a bit of oil first. Please note the end product will be much softer than if fried.
[miniflickr tags=”pumpkin-and-kale-stuffed-polenta-cakes”]
This sounds fantastic! I’ve only recently discovered polenta, and so far have only had it as porridge–I’m excited to try this.
This sounds fantastic! I’ve only recently discovered polenta, and so far have only had it as porridge–I’m excited to try this.
I’m pretty excited about my newfound polenta obsession (where have I been?) Please let me know what you think if you do try it (even if you think it sucks). x
Hello, hello, I made these on Monday and boy they’re good. I made them at a friend’s house, didn’t have access to the Internet, so wrote the recipe down before I left. But I forgot to actually include the *quantity* of harissa. Hmmm. So I only used about a tablespoon, which definitely wasn’t enough.
But the kale filling is beautiful, really, really good. I had a bit left over, so we had that on the side and seriously I could eat it by the spoonful, all by itself.
I also found it easier to work with the polenta with wet hands, the balls and patties seemed to hold together better. Well they did for me anyway!
Anyway, it’s a grand recipe Kip and I reckon it’s one of those you could make with a number of different fillings and I *love* having another use for polenta that doesn’t involve stacks of cheese and butter. Thank you for posting
Thanks for reporting back, and I’m so glad you liked it! I think you’re right about hands being wet because I think it somehow seems to keep the dough sticking to itself rather than to your hands.
Being a red head, I almost clicked out of your site based on the comment you put at the top of your recipe. That is the most hurtful stereotype I’ve ever heard. It suggests that red heads are worthless. Choose your words a bit more wisely if you want a wide audience.
You look like a blonde to me. This is the silliest reply I’ve ever read on a cooking website. Overly-sensitive much? Kip, this is a great recipe and website. Please don’t let others bring you down.