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Pumpkin-flavored Polenta Fries – Easy & Delicious!

by Micaela Harrasser

Today I am sharing an easy yet delicious and stunning side dish made of polenta (corn flour), flavored with some freshly baked pumpkin.
Yes, I am still riding the pumpkin wave ie. trying to add it to all sorts of foods 😀 I just love it and now it’s the time to find super tasty and sweet pumpkins to delight your savory and sweet dishes!
This recipe is super quick as I used instant polenta flour (takes less than 10 min to prepare). How nice is that?
I then added some pureed pumpkin (leftover of freshly baked pumpkin, the.best.) and nutmeg for extra flavor and sweetness to elevate this dish. It’s naturally gluten free, and vegan as I did not add butter at the end (commonly added for extra richness). This dish would already be great to be served as a side (instead of a potato mash), but to elevate it even more I made some fried blocks with the hardened parts. That extra coat of crunchiness is something just sublime.
To add even more flavor, you could use some herbs like thyme or rosemary (especially if serving it as creamy polenta instead of fried).
As with almost all fried foods, this is also at its best just off the frying pan – so make sure to make it just before serving it! I haven’t tried making it with an air fryer, but feel free to try (also to make it less greasy, if interested).
Let me know if you make it! And as always, buon appetito!

Pumpkin-flavored Polenta Fries - Easy & Delicious!

Serves: 4 Prep Time: Cooking Time: Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

  • 600g water
  • pinch of rock salt
  • 150g polenta flour (I used the instant polenta one)
  • 150g pumpkin puree
  • pinch of pepper
  • 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • seed oil (I use sunflower) to fry the polenta sticks

Instructions

  1. First, let's make the polenta following the package instructions (also for the amount of polenta flour to add to 600g water).
  2. Add the water to a pot and place it on the stove to heat up. Once it starts boiling, add a pinch of rock salt and the polenta flour.
  3. Stir well with a whisk to avoid formation of lumps.
  4. Once it starts bubbling, reduce the heat to minimum and keep cooking for an extra 2 minutes.
  5. Switch to a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula and keep mixing to prevent it from sticking.
  6. Keep cooking until the polenta reaches a thick consistency, then stir in the pumpkin.
  7. Add the pepper and nutmeg, mix and taste to eventually adjust the seasoning.
  8. Once done, transfered to a rectangular cake tin (I used a 20x8cm one).
  9. Flatten it with a spatula.
  10. Let it cool off at room temperature for about 10 minutes, then store in the fridge to harden it.
  11. Once it has become hard, flip the cake tin to remove the polenta block.
  12. Slice it to the desired size and thickness.
  13. Take a wide, non stick pan, and heat up the frying oil on medium heat.
  14. Cook the fries on each side until a slightly dark golden crust forms, then flip them over (about 3-5 min each side). Repeat, then remove them and cook the following batch.
  15. Your polenta fries are ready to be enjoyed!

Notes

Storage: polenta fries are best when enjoyed freshly fried for crispiness. If you want to store leftovers, do so in the fridge in an airtight container. To reheat them, try with a non-stick pan with little oil to re-gain some crispiness, or ideally an air fryer.

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