Mamalyga - what is it, step-by-step recipes for making it from corn flour and what to serve it with

Mamalyga is a national Moldovan dish made from steeply brewed corn flour. In the classic recipe, the dish is usually served with feta cheese and finely chopped pork fritter. The earliest mention of hot food was back in 1693, when in the Moldavian principality peasants were cultivating corn fields.

This is the only culture that was not subject to tribute at that time by the Turkish occupiers. Later, the dish became national among the peoples of Romania and in the territory of Western Ukrainian settlements. In Romania, mamaliga is still served with feta cheese and sour cream. Sometimes, if there is no bread at the meal, they use hominy made from corn porridge.

Similar recipes can be found among the peoples of Georgia, Abkhazia and Ossetia. The Caucasian recipe differs from the traditional Moldovan one in that the ingredients use porridge or a corn flour base. Mamalyga should be served only hot, cutting it with waxed thread or a wooden knife. Along with it, meat in butter and cheese are served in a separate bowl. First you need to dip a piece of mamalyga in oil, and then in cheese. This way, the unsalted corn preparation will be tastier, and the meat can be eaten after consuming mamalyga.

Classic recipe with cornmeal

Mamalyga (a recipe made from corn grits is considered the national Moldavian dish) should be cooked together with meat. You can serve various additives with it. Depending on the base on which the mamalyga is cooked, the manner in which additional snacks are served depends.

Composition of ingredients

To prepare the classic hominy recipe you will need:

• onions – 5 pcs.;
• salt – 2 tsp;
• water – 1.3 l;
• corn flour – 500 g.

Hominy.
Corn grits recipe. If desired, you can omit the onions. Also, at the same time as the mamaliga, you need to prepare the pork fritter.

To prepare it you will need:

• pork – 1.5 kg;
• onions – 5 pcs.;
• garlic – ½ head;
• vegetable oil – 80 ml;
• salt - to taste;
• ground pepper – 1 tsp.

You can also grate sheep cheese to make the dish rich and piquant.

When choosing meat, you need to take into account the cooking technology:

In the classic recipe, the meat base will be pork neck.

Step-by-step cooking process

In the process of preparing mamalyga, the following steps must be followed:

1. Corn flour must first be sifted.
2. Boil water in a separate container, and after boiling, add corn flour to it.

   

3. The cereal should be added in a thin stream so that there are no lumps.
4. The porridge should be cooked for about 30-40 minutes.
5. When the hominy is ready, remove it from the heat and let it cool in the container in which it was cooked.

To ensure that the hominy can be easily removed, you need to use aluminum or cast iron dishes. Such a surface will allow you to naturally separate those layers that may have been burnt.

Meat preparation process:

1. The meat should be cut into pieces of 2-3 cm.
2. The onion should be chopped coarsely using a knife.
3. The garlic needs to be cut into slices; it is not advisable to crush it.

   

4. Place the pieces of meat in a frying pan with oil, which should be preheated.
5. Within 8 min. you need to fry all the pieces, stirring. If liquid appears, fry the pork until the juices have completely evaporated.
6. You need to add the onion to the meat and cook it for another 10-15 minutes until it turns golden brown.

When the onion is well stewed, the meat can be considered ready. You can add salt, spices, pepper and other seasonings to your taste to the finished dish.

What can I add?

During the cooking process, you can add spices, which must be prepared in advance - dried and finely chopped. It is not recommended to use any other flour instead of corn flour, otherwise the national dish will not turn out.

As a supplement you can use:

• Ground paprika – dried red pepper should be ground in a blender. Drying should take place on a special wooden panel in the sun.
• Cucumber brine - you can use it to prepare a starter for onions and garlic.
• Instead of vegetable oil, you can use olive oil.

In the classic recipe, it is not customary to add any spices to meat. As an exception, you can only mix frittur with another type of meat if you have individual taste preferences regarding the choice of meat additive.

How to serve a dish

Mamalyga should be served on a wooden stand. Using a thread, you need to cut it off in parts. Along with corn porridge, you need to serve meat in oil, and in a separate bowl - sour cream, feta cheese and pickles. This dish is usually eaten with hands without utensils. Mamalyga needs to be soaked in oil, then dipped into a container with cheese. Then you can dip the piece back into the container with the meat. Homemade semi-sweet or semi-dry red wine should be served along with the national dish. As a purchased one, you can take “Bouquet of Moldova” or “Cahors”, diluting the latter with mineral water.

Mamalyga made from flour in Moldavian style

The usual hominy recipe does not involve adding spices. The main ingredients are corn flour and water.

Composition of ingredients

To prepare you will need:

• water – 650 ml;
• corn flour – 200-250 g;
• salt – 1 tsp.

You can add sea salt for a richer taste. For this portion, you can add more salt so that the mamalyga does not turn out bland.

Step-by-step cooking process

The cooking process includes the following steps:

1. Corn flour must be pricked in advance in a frying pan without oil.
2. Next, you need to heat the cauldron by pouring water into it at the rate of 1 cup per 3 cups of flour.
3. You need to add salt to the water before it boils.
4. When the water almost boils, you need to add cereal in portions. The technology is the same as in the case of cooking semolina porridge. This way there will be no lumps.
5. In 20 minutes. the porridge will swell. At this point, you need to add another 50 g of corn flour, reducing the heat to low. This cooking technology will allow you to achieve a thick consistency.
6. The porridge should be cooked over low heat for another 40 minutes.
7. During this time, you need to constantly stir the porridge with a wooden spatula.

To remove the hominy, you need to take a damp wooden skewer. This will allow the mass to be pushed away from the edges without creating torn parts. When the bottom of the hominy comes out normally, you can wait another 5 minutes. bake it so that the edges of the future top are even. For quick cooling, hominy can be immersed in cold water for 3 minutes. After this, you need to transfer it to a wooden base.

How to serve a dish

Mamaliga made from corn flour according to the Moldavian recipe is always served as a main dish, and not as bread or a snack. Therefore, you should prepare a cold or hot appetizer for it. Meat, sauces, salads are suitable. This recipe option is not suitable as a substitute for bread.

Mamaliga in Georgian style in a slow cooker

Mamalyga (a recipe made from corn grits can be made in a slow cooker using the Georgian version of cooking the dish) is used in Georgian cuisine to replace bread and savory confectionery products. In the Caucasus, this is both porridge and bread, so for a more liquid consistency, you can prepare a second dish by adding more spices to it.

Composition of ingredients

To prepare Georgian mamaliga you will need the following ingredients:

• corn grits or flour – 230 g;
• water – 650 ml;
• unsalted lard – 120 g;
• cheese – 100 g;
• salt and pepper - to taste;
• fresh herbs – 20 g.

Cheese can be soft or hard. It is recommended to use “Suluguni” or “Adyghe”.

Step-by-step cooking process

Step-by-step cooking process:

1. The lard needs to be cut into small pieces and melted in a slow cooker.

   

2. To melt lard, you need to select the “frying” mode and set the time to 10 minutes.
3. When the fat melts, you need to take out the cracklings. Melted lard should be poured into a separate container.
4. In the same bowl of the multicooker, without washing it, you can cook hominy. Pour water into it and add salt.
5. You need to add 1 tbsp to the water. l. melted fat.
6. Next, you need to set the “Soup” or “Steam” mode. You need to close the lid and set the time for 20 minutes.
7. When the water boils, add corn flour, stirring the mixture with a spoon.
8. Without closing the lid, you need to constantly stir the porridge.
9. To make the hominy thicker, you can set the “Pilaf” or “Porridge/Rice” mode, cooking the mass for 30-40 minutes. In this mode, you can close the lid without constantly disturbing the future dish.
10. The finished hominy needs to be laid out and given the correct shape while it is hot.
11. Once cool, you can transfer it to a serving rack or a nice plate.

You can serve hominy in 2 different versions.

How to serve a dish

While the hominy is still hot, you can decorate it with small pieces of cheese. The main thing is not to rub it or heat it in advance. The cheese should melt slightly so that the hominy is saturated with its smell. In the second case, the hominy can be cut with a thread, serving each piece separately with grated cheese. Also, each cut piece can be fried in advance in pork fat using “Frying” in a slow cooker. You can use fresh herbs and cheese for decoration.

Mamalyga as a side dish

Above we looked at recipes for preparing an independent dish (porridge) and an analogue of bread. But in Moldavian cuisine there is also a side dish for meat or fish made from corn grits. How to cook hominy for such purposes? It is made according to the same principle as porridge. Only instead of water they take broth in which meat, chicken or fish was cooked. The proportions of liquid and cereal remain the same.

Mamaliga in Abkhazian

In Abkhazia, mamalyga is a traditional bread.

As a rule, it is this that can be replaced with purchased products, just as store-bought bread replaces home-made freshly baked bread.

Composition of ingredients

For cooking you need the following products:

• corn grits or finely ground flour – 250 g;
• water – 500 ml;
• melted butter or vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l.;
• cheese “Suluguni” – 160 g.

The Abkhazian recipe differs from the Georgian one in that cheese is the main ingredient, and not an additional one to add taste or smell. As a result, the consistency should be more liquid, otherwise the hominy will become like bread, as in the classic Moldavian recipe.

Step-by-step cooking process

The cooking process includes the following steps:

1. In a separate container you need to boil water, adding salt and spices to it to taste.

   

2. In boiling water, turning the heat to low, add corn flour.
3. The porridge should be cooked for 5-6 minutes so that it does not turn out too thick.
4. Hominy cooked with flour should cook for about 8-9 minutes. If you need to use cereal, you should cook the porridge for 4-5 minutes.
5. Preheated butter should be added to the porridge, mixing the contents well.
6. Next you need to add cheese - at the cooking stage or after finishing.
7. If cheese is added during cooking, the porridge will turn out similar to cream cheese soup.
8. If you add cheese after cooking mamaliga, the dish will have a liquid consistency. It is best to add finely chopped or grated cheese if you choose the 2nd cooking option.
9. The container with hominy must be covered with a lid after finishing cooking.
10. After this, you need to put the container with porridge in the oven for 20 minutes. at a temperature of 150-160 degrees.

When finished, you can add a little more cheese as a garnish.

How to serve a dish

In addition to the main ingredient in the form of cheese, you can complement the dish with pickled cucumbers and homemade pickled mushrooms. Salty hominy can go well with semi-dry or sweet wine.

From corn grits

• Time: 45 minutes.
• Number of servings: 3 servings.
• Calorie content of the dish: 400 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: for breakfast, lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: Moldavian.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

One of the classic Moldavian recipes will help you prepare mamaliga from corn grits quickly and easily. The cereal should be finely ground. This way the porridge will cook much faster and will look like a flatbread - dense, not crumbly, appetizing. Its consistency will be more homogeneous and will acquire a pleasant texture. It is recommended to cook in a cauldron, pot or thick-walled bowl so that the porridge retains its shape.

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Ingredients:

• corn grits – 0.5 tbsp.;
• water – 1 tbsp.;
• vegetable oil – 1 tsp.

Cooking method:

1. Bring water to a boil in a vat or kettle.
2. Add the cereal. Cook for half an hour, stirring.
3. Reduce heat, simmer covered for 15 minutes.
4. Using a damp spoon, separate the porridge from the walls and shake the pot.
5. Present using a tray or board.

Mamalyga in clay pots

Mamalyga, cooked in a clay pot without enamel, is prepared on a creamy base. The base should be medium or coarse corn grits. For this recipe you will need a large pot volume - at least 1000 ml.

Composition of ingredients

List of ingredients for making creamy mamaliga:

• water – 300 ml;
• corn grits – 150 g;
• salt - a pinch;
• cream 10-15% – 100 ml;
• melted butter – 2 tbsp. l.

Cream can be replaced with milk or kefir, but then the hominy will turn out more liquid and airy.

Step-by-step cooking process

Cooking process step by step:

1. Corn grits need to be soaked for 10 minutes. in water.
2. You need to pour 300 ml of water into the pot.
3. The water should be salted in advance.
4. Add corn grits to salted water.
5. The total volume of the mass should be such that the top does not reach the edges of the pot by about 1-2 cm.
6. Cover the pot of porridge with a lid and place it in the oven.
7. The dish should be baked at 200 degrees for 80 minutes.
8. After baking, you need to remove the pot, adding butter and cream to the porridge.
9. The resulting mass must be mixed and covered with a lid.
10. Within 5-7 minutes. The porridge swells, after which it can be served.

Mamalyga can be served as a snack along with other dishes.

How to serve a dish

Hominy can be decorated with oyster mushrooms stewed in sour cream sauce. As a dessert, you can use unsalted hominy, topping it with jam or preserves.

Mamalyga in the oven with cheese

Polenta with cheese - this is the name of hominy, cooked with cheese in the oven. This dish can be prepared according to recipes from different national cuisines.

Below is a universal option that can be made from cornmeal or grits.

Composition of ingredients

For preparation you will need the following ingredients:

• corn flour – 450 g;
• salt – 1 tsp;
• cheese – 300 g;
• sheep cheese – 200 g;
• butter – 40 g;
• water – 2 l;
• parsley – 1 bunch;
• vegetable oil – 60 g.

You need to boil water in advance and prepare all the ingredients by washing and cleaning them.

Step-by-step cooking process

The process of cooking hominy in the oven:

1. Add salt and vegetable oil to boiling water.
2. After this, you need to reduce the heat to low, adding a little corn flour.
3. When adding flour, you need to constantly stir the porridge so that lumps do not form.
4. The porridge needs to be cooked for 30-35 minutes. after pouring out all the flour.
5. Next you need to prepare the baking dish. It must be greased with oil and covered with parchment paper.
6. The paper needs to be filled with water - about 50 ml, so that the bottom is slightly saturated.
7. You need to put corn porridge on the water.
8. Place grated sheep cheese and cheese on top of the porridge.
9. You need to chop the parsley and sprinkle it over all the ingredients.

   

10. This “polenta” will turn out like Italian cheese pizza.
11. Bake the dish for 25 minutes. at a temperature of 200 degrees.

After baking, the hominy should be left in the oven until it cools.

How to serve a dish

Mamalyga (a recipe made from corn grits involves preparing polenta in the Italian style) with cheese and feta cheese tastes like pizza or lasagna without meat. Therefore, you can serve the main course with roast or warm salads. Hominy should be cut into large pieces with waxed thread before serving.

Who invented hominy?

There is no clear answer. It is only obvious that this cheap dish was used in their diet by ordinary people who were not accustomed to luxury and delicacies in food. Surprisingly, people will tell you how to cook mamalyga in a variety of regions and countries. This miracle porridge is equally loved by:

• in Romania;
• in Moldavia;
• in Ukraine;
• in the Caucasus.

Mamalyga is called very differently in different regions of the Caucasus:

• among Georgians it is gomi;
• among the Abkhazians - abysta;
• among the Ingush - zhuran-khudar;
• among the Adygeis - mamrys;
• Ossetians have mamalay keber.

It is difficult to say where exactly the first pot of this unique dish was prepared, but the Romanian origin of the name suggests that mamaliga was “born” among this people.

Mamalyga on sour cream with feta cheese

A dish made from corn flour based on a dairy product is more tender and airy. Sour cream can be 10% or 25% fat. The higher the fat content, the softer the consistency. A low-fat dairy product will produce a dietary, but “dry” hominy, similar to hardened bread.

Composition of ingredients

Ingredients for cooking:

• corn flour – 500 g;
• water – 900 ml;
• sour cream – 400 g;
• butter – 100 g;
• sheep cheese – 50 g;
• salt - to taste.

Water must be boiled in advance in an enamel bowl or cauldron.

Step-by-step cooking process

The process of preparing mamalyga with sour cream:

1. When the cauldron boils, you need to salt the water and add oil.
2. You need to dilute sour cream in water in portions, adding 1-2 tbsp. l., stirring the contents periodically. It should have a consistency similar to whey.
3. Sour cream and water should also be boiled for 20 minutes.
4. Then you should add corn flour, stirring the porridge periodically.

   

5. Within half an hour the mixture will become more viscous and thick. If the consistency is liquid, you need to cook the porridge until it has the texture of rich sour cream.
6. You can add feta cheese to the mamalyga during the cooking process, mixing all the ingredients.

When finished, you need to transfer the corn porridge to a separate container.

How to serve a dish

Mamalyga should be served on a hot stand, a wooden tray or a special dish with wide brims. You can put pieces of butter near it so that guests can use the hominy like bread. You can also serve jam, jam or cream cheese as a snack.

Mamalyga with tokana

Tokana is a unique meat dish of Moldavian cuisine, which is traditionally served only with hominy. According to the given recipe, it is prepared in the most classy restaurants of national cuisine in Chisinau.

Ingredients:

• One and a half kilograms of rabbit meat
• 2 cups sifted cornmeal
• 6 glasses of water
• 2 small leeks
• 150 milliliters dry white wine
• 4 tablespoons corn oil
• 50 grams of sour cream
• Salt, pepper - to taste.

Preparation:

Prepare hominy from corn flour according to the basic recipe.

The meat is cut into medium pieces. Oil is poured into a cauldron, heated and the meat is fried until it changes color. Salt and pepper, add wine and reduce heat to very low. Cook for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally.

Ten minutes before readiness, add onion cut into half rings and cook until the onion is transparent.

Served on a wooden board, on which hominy, decorated with sour cream, meat, and chopped vegetables are placed.

Mamaliga with suluguni cheese and fish with garlic

Another option for preparing mamaliga with corn-based cheese, which will appeal to lovers of sea and river fish. It is based on the preparation of hominy, fish and seasoning.

Composition of ingredients

Mamalyga (the recipe for corn grits will be based on the classic version of preparation, and the fish can be fried or smoked in advance and then baked with corn porridge) with fish can be prepared in 2 different stages - first you need to fry the fish, and then based on fish sauce cook hominy.

Ingredients for cooking:

• corn flour – 350 g;
• fish not very fatty – 1 kg;
• Suluguni cheese – 150 g;
• water – 500 ml;
• garlic – 1 pc.;
• vegetable oil – 100 ml;
• ground black pepper - to taste;
• salt - to taste.

First you need to cook the fish, then cook the hominy.

Step-by-step cooking process

Cooking process:

1. The fish needs to be cleaned and cut into several small pieces for subsequent frying.

   

2. Separately pour corn flour into a deep bowl.
3. Pour vegetable oil into a bowl.
4. Each piece of fish needs to be rolled in oil, then dipped in corn flour to make a batter.
5. Each piece of fish should be salted and peppered to taste.
6. Then you need to soak each piece of fish again in a container with oil before frying for 20-25 seconds.
7. The fish needs to be fried on both sides for 10-15 minutes.
8. There is already cornmeal in the container with oil. You need to add the rest to it, adding chopped garlic to the ingredients.
9. You need to pour water into the cauldron and boil it. The cheese should be diluted into it until a homogeneous mass is formed.
10. The resulting mixture of corn and butter should be placed in a cauldron filled with water and cheese.
11. Mamalyga needs to be cooked for 30 minutes. until fully cooked.

You can also separately prepare a dressing for hominy from butter, corn flour and garlic, mixing all the ingredients in equal parts.

How to serve a dish

Fried fish should be served along with hot mamaliga. It acts as a side dish. The sauce can be diluted with seasonings or spices. To prepare mamalyga, you can use only corn flour or grits, as well as various mixtures of ingredients in the form of milk, sour cream and cheese. Depending on the chosen recipe, an appetizer, side dish or main bread dish can be prepared. It is most convenient to cook porridge in a cauldron or pots - this way the corn dough will not stick to your hands. To bake, fill the pan with water. Then the hominy inside will be soft and juicy.

Instead of a conclusion without a title, you need to write useful tips, for example, life hacks, cooking secrets, what is more convenient to use when cooking, how to quickly complete this or that step, how to choose the right product in the store to make the dish tastier, etc.