In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Once boiling, slowly add in polenta and continuously whisk until there are no clumps.
Reduce to medium-low heat and whisk the polenta often for about 10 minutes.
Once it is thick, stir in almond milk and whisk every few minutes for about another 10 minutes. Stir in cumin, garlic, salt and pepper.
Reduce to low heat and let cook for another 10-15 minutes until it is thick. Stir every few minutes and add more almond milk as necessary. You are going to want the mixture to be pretty thick as it will resemble the outside of a tamale when done.
Once it's finished cooking, remove from heat.
Warm up black beans.
Add in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, onion, cayenne, garlic cloves, cilantro, salt and pepper.
Stir together.
Take a scoop of poleta and add it to your bowl. Top with beans, hotsauce, homemade pico de gallo, guacamole or plant-based queso.