COPPERMămăligă recipe
Romanian cornmeal porridge cooked firm enough to be turned out onto a board and sliced with a thread, then eaten like bread with brânză and smântână.
Ingredients
- 250 g cornmeal (mălai)
- 1000 ml water
- 1 tsp salt
- 200 g telemea cheese (brânză)
- 200 g sour cream (smântână)
How to make Mămăligă
- Bring 1 liter of water with 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a heavy pot, traditionally a cast-iron ceaun.
- Pour in 250 g of cornmeal in a thin rain, whisking constantly so no lumps form.
- Lower the heat and switch to a wooden stick (făcăleț) or a wooden spoon; stir constantly for 15 to 20 minutes, until the mass is thick, bubbles heavily and pulls away from the sides of the pot.
- Press the mămăligă against the sides with a wet spoon, cover for 3 to 4 minutes, then put it back on the heat for 1 minute so the steam loosens it.
- Turn it out in one piece onto a wooden board.
- Slice it with a taut piece of thread rather than a knife, since it sticks to metal.
- Serve hot with 200 g of crumbled telemea and 200 g of smântână on the side.
What is Mămăligă?
Mămăligă is a traditional dish from Romania, steamed, and takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. It is built around cornmeal (mălai), telemea cheese (brânză) and sour cream (smântână). The recipe below uses 5 ingredients and is written out step by step.
How long does Mămăligă take?
At 30 minutes it is quicker than 97% of the 586 dishes in Copper's atlas. Copper's atlas has 6 dishes built on cornmeal (mălai). The method runs to 7 steps, the longest being 20 minutes.
Any tips for making Mămăligă?
Pour the cornmeal in a thin rain while whisking, then stir with a wooden stick until it pulls away from the pot; slice it with a thread, not a knife.
How Mămăligă compares
At 30 minutes, Mămăligă is among the 20 quickest of the 586 dishes Copper documents.
Cooked with the same thing elsewhere
Other traditional dishes built on cornmeal, from other countries.
- Fungie 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda
- Pepperpot 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda
- Flying fish and cou-cou 🇧🇧 Barbados
- Kačamak 🇲🇪 Montenegro
- Bori bori 🇵🇾 Paraguay
Copper documents Romania alongside 197 other countries. Every recipe is free to read, with the full ingredient list and every step.