Mamaliga, The Recipe
If you can boil water, you can whip up a superb Mamaliga (or polenta as probably known more widely). There isn’t much science that goes into it. The creative input comes when you decide what to garnish it with (or use it as a garnish to a main dish).
Each region or use has its own culinary twist to it. For instance, in Moldova it is used often as a bread substitute so the consistency can be so thick that you can cut slices using a string of some sort. Of course the Sarmale (stuffed cabbage or grape leaves) is a signature dish that goes excellent with it.
Here I am making a simple Mamaliga cu Branza (polenta with feta cheese), with a somewhat thinner consistency, longer boil time, garnished with Bulgarian feta cheese I found in our local ethnic grocery store we absolutely love, and just to ad an extra touch of creaminess, I added cottage cheese.
The following feeds roughly two-three hungry adults, or four children but can multiply the serving to feed an army.
For the Mamaliga:
1 cup corn meal (I use an Indian brand called SWAD)
4 cups water
1/2 Tsp salt
For the feta cheese garnish:
1 1/2 cup feta cheese (preferably imported from a country in the Balkans)
1 cup cottage cheese
1 Tbs chopped parsley
Bring the water to a boil in a large pot, and add the corn meal in a slow steady stream while constantly whisking – this will prevent lumps. Add the salt and reduce to low heat, whisking the mamaliga frequently. Continue this for about 30-40 minutes, until the mamaliga starts pulling away from the pot’s sides. Add the feta and cottage cheese, sprinkle the chopped parsley on top and presto! You are done!
The Mamaliga can be used as a base, side dish or garnish to numerous recipes. I will have a couple of those on the list to post so stay tuned for more!
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September 17th, 2008 10:33
Gabi, good stuff! The video is great! Now we know what you look like too.
I am going to make some mamaliga this weekend as an accompaniment to a meal. What do you suggest I serve it with?
September 17th, 2008 10:40
Sam – glad you like it! The thing is you can use it as a starch garnish for any imaginable main dish. One of my favorite is the grilled polenta with a simple tomato and mushroom (porcini if in Italy) sauce. Thanks for stopping by!
September 17th, 2008 15:50
That looks easy enough, and the ingredients are healthy. I’ll definitely try it.
November 9th, 2008 21:26
I’m embarrassed to admit that I bought the pre-made kind of polenta and ate it today (it came in a tube). What’s worse is that I cooked it in the microwave. I should not judge mamaliga based on this; nor should you judge me based on this mometary lapse of reason.
December 2nd, 2008 08:15
Multumesc mult pentru reteta!
Chiar daca sunt din Romania nu stiu sau nu stiam sa fac mamaliga dar acum sper ca voi reusi. Ai avut o buna idee sa postezi asa ceva! Felicitari, Mirela
December 2nd, 2008 11:57
Ciao Mirela!
Multumesc de complimente – ma bucur ca ti-a reusit mamaliga! Este desigur doar o varianta. Exista sute de feluri sa faci mamaliga.
Pe curand!
January 29th, 2009 11:28
Thanks for the recipe! I missed eating mamaliga. I should make a note that I usualy make the mamaliga more stiff, and also eat it with sour cream and cheese (brânză şi smântână) on the side, not in it, and also with fried eggs.
Great video, Gabi!
February 16th, 2009 10:20
Great recipe. And with the video is much easier. I’ve tried polenta with “sarmalute” and is a delight. Thanks.
March 21st, 2009 20:25
I am so glad to find your recipe and directions for making mamaliga. It has been thirty years since I made it as a new bride. For some reason I forgot about the recipe until my husband, the other day, was excited thinking I was serving him mamaliga, when I brought dinner to the table. I didn’t even know that it was Romanian! I have no idea how I first saw the recipe here in California, but I will make it again, tonight, and surprise my husband. Thank you for posting so much good information on the internet.
May 8th, 2009 03:22
What a great recipe and video! I actually used most of my polenta in the Anadama bread, but I’ll have to buy more. I believe I can find it in the same store where I occasionally buy the excellent Bulgarian cheese. (It’s a little closer to Balcan from where I live in Sweden compared to USA …)
June 10th, 2009 06:34
Thank you for posting video recipe
Regards,
Recipes World
June 13th, 2009 09:21
I will try this! I just married a Romanian from Deva and have been craving this stuff like crazy!
September 7th, 2009 15:07
mary, you did the mistake of your life by getin` married with a romanian !!
i wish you all the luck in the world.
September 7th, 2009 15:08
p.s. mamaliga rullz
)
September 12th, 2009 19:36
I just had some mamaliga. I’m Greek, grew up in Chicago, but my dad grew up in Romania. Since my grandparents lived with us, I grew up with Greek/Romanian/Turkish food. Mamaliga with stuffed cabbage is the BEST! I just took a trip 30 years into my past. Thank you! And yes, we even cut it with the string! Oh, Grandpa, where are you?
September 12th, 2009 20:30
Tasia!
Thanks for the comment! Are you still in Chicago?? I am in Arlington Heights (Chicago’s NW suburbs)
You grew up with the best menus there! Hahaha – you used the string?!?!?! That’s genuine mamaliga!
Thanks much for the comments!
November 14th, 2009 15:50
Try the canadian recipe:
1.canadian bacon
2.fresh mushrooms
3.Feta chese
4.Polenta ( made using clasic recipe)
5.Sour cream
Fry the bacon ( how do u like it) toss the mushrooms sliced and reduce
till the water is gone ( by the wind )
slice polenta ( with a string if u want in the traditional way)
In a thermo resistant pot put one row of bacon+mushrooms,polenta, fetacheese,polenta sour cream – is up to u !
put a piece of butter in top of those and bake for 20 minutes
enjoy!
November 16th, 2009 12:48
Marcus – Thanks for the comment! Your version sounds delicious! So is this like a layered polenta?
thanks!
February 3rd, 2010 11:30
My Dad made mamaliga all the time when we were growing up. He used an 8 quart pan and a wooden spoon. He used to say it was done when the wooden spoon stood up straight in the pan. We ate it with cottage cheese, salt and pepper. It was fun to watch your video. Think I better go buy some corn meal…………….NOW, you’ve made me hungry!
Thanks!
February 5th, 2010 11:07
Te rog ,spune-mi cite grame are 1 cup american ?
February 5th, 2010 20:13
Hi Adnana –
Depinde de ce ai in cup. Linkul asta mi-a fost de folos sa inteleg conversia:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_grams_are_in_a_cup
Sper ca te va ajuta si pe tine.
February 9th, 2010 10:20
lem!
Thanks for the comment! The wooden spoon trick is a very good indicator that the Mamaliga is done! Good tip! Hehe – glad I made you hungry! Make sure you buy the more coarser corn meal, that makes the best mamaliga!
cheers!
February 16th, 2010 15:45
I found mamaliga in the Scrabble dictionary. I don’t think it is even in Webster’s Dictionary…how about that! the writers of the Scrabble dictionary must be Romanian because the word is not as well knnown as the word polenta.
February 17th, 2010 11:55
Dolly – That’s hilarious! You are right! I wonder how it got included in there?!?!? Thanks for the comment!
February 24th, 2010 20:58
I found you site by accident and enjoyed reading this thread. I love mamaliga, but I prefer the richer taste of banush(mamaliga made with cream instead of water). Depending on the region of Ukraine, mamaliga is also called kolesha. My first trip to Ukraine, my tour group went into the Carpatian mountains and we stopped at a restaurant (absolutely beatiful, completely made of wood and lots of carvings and inlay) for lunch. The tour guide had pre-arranged for us to have a traditional mountain lunch; Mamaliga with Brindza, fresh picked mountain mushrooms in cream sauce, a fruit drink called Compote, and something resembling apple strudel for dessert. One of the ladies in our group took one look at the mamaliga and the mushrooms and decided it was not on her diet, and pushed the plates away. In a split second it looked like a wedding bouquet got tossed as 30 pairs of hands made a lunge for the mamliga and mushrooms. I was too far away to score anything. I would have traded my strudel for another bowl of mamliga.
My mother has tried to make a diet version of the banush substituting fat free sour cream for some of the water once the cormeal thickens too much. It’s a good compromise, but nothing comes close to the taste that I remember. Feta just doesn’t have that same bite as a good piece of brindza.
I’m starting to drool…….
March 9th, 2010 11:44
Liliana:
Thanks much for the comment on Mamaliga! And thanks for the precious information on how Mamaliga is prepared differently in certain regions.
And I can see easily that pushed away plate by that lady being coveted by the others in the group! Hahaha. I am sure that lady is regretting that now.
So you completely swap the water for the cream in the Banush recipe?? You must have some water to bring it to a boil first, right?
Feta – the ones you buy in the groceries in America, is a joke. Real FETA has to be Greek or at least from the Balcans. you can find it, nevertheless, but you pay a premium price for it. Sometimes, look for “Bulgarian Feta” in ethnic grocery stores, that comes quite close to the real thing. But please don’t buy the “Feta” made in Wisconsin – hehehehe.
Thanks again!