• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Quite Good Food
  • About
  • Sign up
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Sign up
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home > Snacks and sides

    Cajun polenta fries with smoky tomato sauce

    Published: 2 Oct 2017 · Modified: 2 Oct 2017 · By Amber · Leave a Comment

    491 shares
    • Facebook26
    • Print
    Jump to recipe
    Oven-baked cajun spiced polenta fries served with a quick and easy smoky tomato sauce (vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free).

    Oven-baked cajun polenta fries with a quick and easy smoky tomato sauce.

    Cajun polenta fries with smoky tomato sauce (vegan and gluten free). Spring in New Zealand is a rollercoaster ride of days so warm you can get sunburned, and days where we have no choice but to light the fire and cook something cosy. Warmer weather is tantalisingly close, but still so far away.

    I optimistically headed out for an early morning walk today, but within five minutes the weather was closing in with icy, fat drops of rain that felt perilously close to turning into hail. I wasn't in a 'brave the weather no matter what' kind of mood, so back home I went.

    Grey weekends call for cosy food, and this batch of cajun spiced polenta fries was just the ticket. A quick and easy home made tomato sauce and aquafaba aioli were the perfect accompaniments, alongside a cold beer.

    Cajun polenta fries

    Polenta, or cornmeal, can be served soft as an alternative to vegetable mash, or allowed to set then cut into shapes before frying or baking. This natural setting ability makes it ideal to slice into chunky polenta chips or fries, which crisp up beautifully in the oven.

    I use instant polenta, which cooks in just a few minutes. The basic method is 1 part polenta to 3 parts liquid (I use vegetable stock). It's a simple matter of adding the polenta to the boiling liquid, then turning the heat down and stirring for a few minutes until the mixture is extremely thick. At that point it's spread evenly in a baking tray and set aside to cool.

    All manner of flavourings can be added to the basic polenta mixture. Inspired by my recipe for cajun chilli fries, I added a selection of cajun spices to the cooking liquid, which infused a beautiful savoury flavour through the cooking polenta. My kitchen smelled amazing.

    If you're served polenta chips in a pub or restaurant, they'll have been deep fried to perfect crispiness. Go ahead and use your fryer if you have one, or if you'd prefer to use less oil then oven bake them as I did. I only used about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, brushed lightly over the chips, and they came out beautifully golden and crisp.

    Smoky tomato sauce

    You can of course serve these fries with any store bought sauce. But if you'd like to make something yourself, this recipe for smoky tomato sauce is really quick and easy, and comes together entirely from store cupboard ingredients.

    I simmered a can of chopped tomatoes with smoked paprika, chipotle chilli, maple syrup, garlic and a splash of red wine vinegar until it had thickened, then blended it until smooth. The chipotle chilli (canned in adobo sauce) gives it quite a kick, but you can leave it out if you prefer a mild sauce.

    I like this sauce because it has a fresher, brighter taste than a traditional ketchup, and significantly less sugar. I served it cold, but it's pretty tasty hot too.

    Quick and easy smoky tomato sauce (refined sugar free).

    Cajun polenta fries with smoky tomato sauce (vegan and gluten free).

    Get the recipe

    Cajun polenta fries with smoky tomato sauce (vegan and gluten free).

    Cajun polenta fries with smoky tomato sauce

    Oven-baked cajun polenta fries with a quick and easy smoky tomato sauce.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook time: 45 minutes minutes
    Total time: 50 minutes minutes
    Course: Snacks and sides
    Cuisine: Gluten free, Vegan
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 346kcal
    Author: Quite Good Food

    INGREDIENTS

    For the smoky tomato sauce:

    • 1 can chopped tomatoes
    • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 1 chipotle pepper (canned in adobo sauce - optional)
    • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
    • 1 clove garlic crushed or finely grated
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    For the cajun polenta fries:

    • 4 ½ cups vegetable stock
    • 1 ½ cups instant polenta
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 clove garlic crushed or finely grated
    • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
    • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

    INSTRUCTIONS

    For the smoky tomato sauce:

    • Put all ingredients into a small saucepan, stir and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, until fragrant and thick. Blend until smooth (I used a stick blender), then set aside to cool.

    For the cajun polenta fries:

    • Put vegetable stock, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, spices and seasoning into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then add the polenta in one go, stirring constantly to avoid creating lumps. Turn the heat down and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture is very thick. 
    • Spread the cooked polenta out evenly in a lined 18x27 cm baking pan (approximately 7x10.5 inches) or similar sized. Refrigerate until cool - about an hour. 
    • Preheat oven to 220C (430F) fanbake. 
    • Lift the cooled polenta out of the pan and onto a chopping board. Use a large, sharp knife to cut it into evenly sized chips or fries. Arrange the chips evenly on a lined baking tray and lightly brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. 
    • Bake for 30-35 minutes, turning regularly, until golden brown and crisp. 
    • Serve immediately, with smoky tomato sauce and any other sauces of your choosing. 

    RECIPE NOTES

    • Smoky tomato sauce recipe makes about 1 cup - more than you'll need. 
    • Cajun polenta fries recipe makes about 24-30 chunky chips, depending how you slice them. Serves four as a snack or side dish. 

    NUTRITION INFORMATION

    Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1501mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1205IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1.9mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @quitegoodfood or tag #quitegoodfood!
    Nutrition Facts
    Cajun polenta fries with smoky tomato sauce
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 346 Calories from Fat 63
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 7g11%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Sodium 1501mg65%
    Potassium 308mg9%
    Carbohydrates 62g21%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 11g12%
    Protein 6g12%
    Vitamin A 1205IU24%
    Vitamin C 10mg12%
    Calcium 43mg4%
    Iron 1.9mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    More Snacks and sides

    • A bowl of bright orange carrot and harissa dip, sitting on a pale grey stone benchtop.
      Carrot and harissa dip
    • A black bowl containing rice pilaf, with cashew nuts, coriander (cilantro) and lime segments visible.
      Lime, cashew and coriander rice
    • A white plate with slices of roast buttercup pumpkin, pictured with a small bowl of coconut yoghurt and tahini sauce, half an orange and some small sprigs of rosemary.
      Roast pumpkin with rosemary, orange and chilli
    • Mexican black bean hand pies.
      Mexican black bean hand pies
    491 shares
    • Facebook26
    • Print

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Oven-baked cajun spiced polenta fries served with a quick and easy smoky tomato sauce (vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free).

    I'm Amber, an enthusiastic cook, food obsessive, mother, writer and photographer based in Hamilton, New Zealand.

    More about me →

    Popular recipes

    • Five seed crackers (vegan and gluten free).
      Easy home made five seed crackers
    • Broad bean falafel with tahini sauce (vegan and gluten free).
      Broad bean falafel with tahini sauce
    • A cast iron pot of lentils, sitting on a marble chopping board with an orange linen napkin alongside. Inside the pot there are cooked lentils with small chunks of celery and carrot, and two bay leaves sitting on top.
      French-style lentils
    • A cooked mushroom, onion and lentil pie in its pie tin, sitting on a chopping board. The pastry is golden brown, with a star shaped hole cut in the centre.
      Mushroom, onion and lentil pie
    • Urab sayur: Balinese coconut and vegetable salad.
      Urab sayur: Balinese coconut and vegetable salad
    • Turkish-style coriander (cilantro) and walnut tarator (vegan).
      Turkish-style coriander and walnut tarator
    • Crispy kumara cakes.
      Crispy kumara cakes
    • Lime and vanilla vegan cheesecake.
      Lime and vanilla vegan cheesecake

    Join the mailing list

    Finalist - best food website 2019

    The Foodies: NZ Food Media Awards 2019 logo.

    Footer

    Oven-baked cajun spiced polenta fries served with a quick and easy smoky tomato sauce (vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free).

    Finalist - best food website 2019

    The Foodies: NZ Food Media Awards 2019 logo.
    • Privacy policy
    • Sign up for emails
    • Contact us

    Copyright © 2023 Quite Good Food

    491 shares
    • 26
    • 1
    491 shares
    • 26