Dried corn ground to fine, medium or coarse. Medium grind for polenta takes roughly 1 cup to 4 cups liquid, whisked in and stirred over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes.
What it does in a recipe: A gluten-free starch that gelatinises into a soft porridge or sets firm, and gives coatings their sandy crunch. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Polenta, Maize meal
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Quick answer
Instant or quick-cooking polenta
1 cup medium cornmeal with 4 cups liquid, 30 to 40 minutes = 1 cup instant polenta with 3 1/2 cups liquid, 5 minutes
All substitutes, best first
4 ways to replace cornmeal
Instant or quick-cooking polenta
Reliable
1 cup medium cornmeal with 4 cups liquid, 30 to 40 minutes = 1 cup instant polenta with 3 1/2 cups liquid, 5 minutes
Instant polenta is precooked and dried, so the starch has already gelatinised once and rehydrates in minutes with slightly less liquid.
MethodRain it into boiling liquid while whisking hard, or it seizes into lumps that will not break up.
Trade-offSofter and blander, without the deep corn flavour a long slow polenta develops. It also sets less firmly when chilled.
Allergen checkSemolina is durum wheat and contains gluten. It is the wrong direction entirely if cornmeal was chosen because it is gluten-free. Check the label of any packaged cornmeal too, since some is milled alongside wheat.
Masa harina
In a pinch
1 cup cornmeal (for a coating or a batter) = 1 cup masa harina
Masa harina is corn treated with lime and then ground, so it behaves similarly by volume but absorbs more water and binds far better.
Trade-offDistinctly tortilla-flavoured from the nixtamalisation, and it makes a softer, less sandy coating.
Corn is naturally gluten-free, but cornmeal is often milled in facilities that also handle wheat. For coeliac disease, buy a brand that states gluten-free on the packet rather than assuming the grain is enough.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.