Palate teaser: A cake for a rainy day

The monsoon calls for something warm, sweet, sticky and crisp, and here is a recipe that gives you all that in one bite

July 18, 2026 20:23 IST

Chef Anahita Dhondy’s 15-Minute Cinnamon Sugar Mexican Polenta Cake Recipe

Having emerged over 9,000 years ago in Mexico, corn has more versatility than we give it credit for. Consumed on the cob, in soups, as polenta or tortillas globally, in India corn transforms into a winter crispy-soft makki ki roti, a delicate pankhi or kees from Madhya Pradesh, a creamy barfi or simply as the tempting bhutta on every street corner.

Chef Anahita Dhondy’s cinnamon sugar-dusted Mexican polenta cake is served with savoury bacon, fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup. Included in her latest book, The Grain Kitchen, published by HarperCollins, the recipe sits alongside several others based on the grains we eat.

COOKING TIME: 15 MINUTES

SERVES: 2-3

INGREDIENTS

1 tube of polenta, cooked, cut into 8-10 slices

1 tbsp olive oil

8-10 berries of choice

6-8 strips bacon, cooked and drained

Maple syrup, for

drizzling Cinnamon, for dusting Powdered sugar, for dusting

METHOD

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook each polenta slice for 3-4 minutes on each side, until browned and crisp.
On a flat plate, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Once the polenta cakes are cooked and still warm, flip them in the cinnamon sugar mix so they are coated well on both sides.
Serve the polenta cakes immediately with the bacon, fresh berries, and a drizzle of maple syrup.

This article was first uploaded on July eighteen, twenty twenty-six, at twenty-three minutes past eight in the night.