Mămăligă (Romanian Polenta)
In short: Cornmeal cooked in salted water until thick enough to slice, the golden Romanian staple served with sour cream, cheese, stews and sarmale. It takes about 40 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 255 kcal
Mămăligă is what Romanians eat in place of bread: a golden cornmeal porridge cooked until it is stiff enough to hold its shape. Village cooks tip it onto a wooden board and slice it with a piece of thread. It soaks up the juices of stews, sits under fried eggs, and comes with sour cream and salty cheese. Slow cooking and steady stirring keep it smooth, never gritty.
Instructions
- Bring the water and salt to a boil in a heavy, wide pot. Lower the heat to medium so the water keeps simmering.
- Pour in the cornmeal in a thin, steady stream with one hand while whisking constantly with the other. Keep whisking for 1 minute, until no lumps remain.
- Switch to a wooden spoon and lower the heat to low. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every minute or two and scraping the bottom. Cover between stirs, because the mixture sputters.
- The mămăligă is ready when it is very thick, no longer tastes raw or gritty, and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the pot. If it stiffens before the grains are tender, stir in a splash of boiling water.
- Run the spoon around the edge, then invert the pot over a wooden board and tap firmly so the mămăligă drops out in one piece. Leave it for 3 to 5 minutes to firm up.
- Cut it into thick slices with a length of kitchen thread or a wet knife and serve hot. For soft mămăligă, skip the turning out and spoon it from the pot.
Tips
- For a softer, spoonable mămăligă, use 1.3 liters (5 1/2 cups) of water with the same amount of cornmeal and cook it a little longer.
- Leftover slices keep for 4 days in the fridge. Fry them in oil until crisp, or layer them with cheese and bake until bubbling.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between mămăligă and polenta?
They are the same idea, cornmeal cooked in water. Mămăligă is traditionally cooked stiff enough to slice, while Italian polenta is more often served soft and creamy.
How do I stop mămăligă from sticking and forming lumps?
Add the cornmeal slowly while whisking, use a heavy pot and stir often. Wet the board or the thread before slicing so the mămăligă does not cling.
What do you serve with mămăligă?
Sour cream and crumbled salty cheese, sarmale, stews such as tochitură, grilled mici or a fried egg. In Romania it is also eaten with warm milk.
How long does it take to make Mămăligă (Romanian Polenta)?
About 40 min in total: 5 min of preparation and 35 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Mămăligă (Romanian Polenta)?
About 255 kcal per serving, with 6 g of protein, 53 g of carbohydrates and 3 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 255 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 53 g |
| Fat | 3 g |
| Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Sodium | 600 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
