About this Dish
Romanian polenta, served alongside stews, cheese, or a fried egg.
History & Origin
Mamaliga was historically peasant food, a maize porridge that became Romania's answer to bread, still central to rural Romanian cooking today.
IngredientsServes 3
💧Water, 1 litre
🧂Salt, 1 teaspoon
🌽Coarse yellow cornmeal (polenta), 250g
🧈Butter, 30g
🧀Telemea or feta cheese, 150g crumbled
🥚Eggs, 2 large
🫙Sour cream (smântână), 4 tablespoons
🌿Fresh dill, a small handful chopped
Method
1
Pour the water into a heavy-bottomed pot and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the salt and stir to dissolve.2
Reduce the heat to medium and slowly pour in the cornmeal in a thin, steady stream while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps from forming.3
Continue stirring vigorously for 20–25 minutes over medium-low heat until the mamaliga is very thick, pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pot, and no longer tastes raw. Be careful as it will bubble and spit.4
Stir in the butter until fully melted and glossy, then remove the pot from the heat. In a traditional Romanian kitchen, mamaliga is turned out onto a wooden board rather than scooped — to do this, run a wet spoon around the edges, place the board over the pot, and flip it quickly.5
While the mamaliga rests, fry the eggs in a little butter in a hot pan until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Season lightly with salt.6
Serve generous slices or mounds of mamaliga alongside the fried eggs, a heap of crumbled telemea cheese, and a dollop of cold sour cream. Scatter fresh dill on top for a classic Romanian touch.User Reviews
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