Mămăligă (Romanian Polenta)
This is a traditional recipe for Romanian polenta, known as Mămăligă. It's super easy to make and requires just three ingredients. Serve it with your favorite cheese and a good amount of sour cream.
Ingredients
- 500 ml water (use more water for softer, more porridge-like consistency, see notes below)
- 250 g cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot, then add the salt.
- Gradually sprinkle in the cornmeal, stirring continuously to prevent lumps.
- Cook for 4–8 minutes, depending on your desired texture. Stir continuously for a smooth consistency.
- Remove the pot from the heat and use an ice cream scoop dipped in cold water to place portions of mămăligă onto plates.
- With the back of the ice cream scoop, form a hollow in each ball of mămăligă to hold the cottage cheese and sour cream.
- Sprinkle crumbled telemea cheese on top, or substitute with another flavorful cheese like Cheddar, Parmesan or Grana Padano.
- Serve the mămăligă hot!
Notes
Note:
For creamy mămăligă, use 700–800 ml of water for 250 g of cornmeal. This results in a softer, more porridge-like consistency, perfect for serving with cheese and sour cream—a version that kids usually love.
For extra-firm mămăligă (sliced version), use only 400 ml of water resulting in a dense mămăligă that can be cut into slices after cooling.
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