Cornmeal Mamalyha
Mamalyha is four parts water to one part cornmeal and thirty minutes of stirring, which is how long the starch needs to swell completely. Undercooked, it grits against your teeth; overcooked, it turns rubbery. The signal is easy to read: it gathers into one mass and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 425 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
Any salty brined cheese stands in for bryndza, but then halve the salt in the water.
Makes: 4 servings, a 20 cm round
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Boil the water
Bring the salted water to the boil in a heavy pan. The ratio is 250 g of cornmeal to 1 l of water, roughly 1:4 by volume.
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Step 2: Rain in a third
Whisking constantly, pour in a third of the cornmeal in a thin stream. The whisk at this stage is the only reliable defence against lumps that never break up later.
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Step 3: Add the rest
Still stirring, add the remaining cornmeal. It thickens quickly and starts fighting back — switch to a wooden spoon.
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Step 4: Cook for 30 minutes
Turn the heat right down and stir every 2–3 minutes, going along the base and up the sides each time. It bloops loudly and spits, so keep your hand clear.
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Step 5: Read the signs
It is done when the mass balls up and leaves the sides clean, and tastes smooth with no sandiness. Beat in the butter until glossy.
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Step 6: Turn it out
Scrape it into a bowl, let it stand 10 minutes, then invert onto a board. Cut with a length of thread or a wooden knife; a metal blade drags and tears the edge.
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Step 7: Serve hot
Put a wedge on each plate, crumble over plenty of bryndza and add a spoonful of sour cream. The heat softens the cheese slightly, which is exactly the point.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Fine grind drinks water faster, so add another 100 ml of boiling water if the pan tightens up within five minutes.
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Variation
Half water, half milk gives a softer mamalyha, closer to Italian polenta in texture.
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Storage
Cold mamalyha holds its shape: slice it into slabs and fry in butter until crusted — a second meal out of the same pot.
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Swap
Any salty brined cheese stands in for bryndza, but then halve the salt in the water.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 425 kcal | 1,700 kcal |
| Protein | 14 g | 56 g |
| Fat | 19 g | 76 g |
| Carbohydrates | 47 g | 188 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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