polenta

Chef David Davenport’s vegan polenta recipe with a mushroom curry sauce. Photos by Lynae Sowinski

Check out this yummy polenta recipe by Chef David Davenport. You can top it with whatever you like, but he suggests the mushroom curry sauce listed below. This recipe is vegan!

PolentaPolenta
Chef David Davenport
Bloomington Cooking School

3 1/2 cups cornmeal
10 1/2 cups water, add more if needed
2 teaspoons salt

1) Fill a large pan halfway with water and bring to a moderate boil. Find a metal bowl that is large enough to seal this pan when sitting on top of it.

2) Combine salt and the 10 1/2 cups of water to a second pan and bring to a boil.

3) Pour the 10 1/2 cups of boiling water and salt into the metal bowl. While mixing, add the cornmeal. Make sure they are combined thoroughly.

4) Cover the bowl holding the cornmeal mixture with foil. Place this bowl on top of the pan of boiling water (see photo).

5) Note: Chef Davenport says it makes no difference how you stir the polenta. Just stir every 15 minutes or so and recover until you’ve reached the creamy texture you desire.

6) Spread mixture into a 9-inch-by-13-inch pan, cover with your desired topping, and serve.

Polenta Sauce
Chef David Davenport
Bloomington Cooking SchoolPolenta

1 stick Earth Balance vegan butter
1 can diced tomatoes
2 boxes mushrooms
Curry powder, to taste
Currants, to taste
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

1) Melt vegan butter on skillet. Then add mushrooms and simmer, though don’t cook the mushrooms all the way down.

2) Add tomatoes and stir. Then add currants and stir. Then add pepper and stir. Taste, then add salt.

3) Mix curry powder with a bit of water to create a paste. Add curry powder slowly, tasting as you go. Add more seasonings as needed.

4) If the sauce is too runny, add a bit of cornstarch as a thickening agent.