Mămăligă Recipe (Traditional Method Romanian Cornmeal Polenta)

mamaliga in a pot with a whisk stirring it

Mămăligă Recipe (Traditional Method Romanian Cornmeal Polenta)

Traditional Romanian mămăligă made the way it’s actually cooked at home; by feel, guided by water-first ratios, with measured benchmarks for both spoonable and firm textures. With 1 liter / 4 cups water, expect about 1.5 liters / 6 cups of finished mămăligă which is enough for 5-6 side dish servings or about 4 servings as a 'mămăligă bowl'.

Course Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine Romanian

Keyword Cornmeal

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 5

Total Time 7

Servings servings

Calories 160kcal

Equipment

large pot
whisk

Ingredients

1 liter water 4 cups
250 grams medium grind cornmeal 1–1¼ cups
1.5 teaspoons salt

Instructions

Measure the water first: Add the water to a medium pot. The amount of water determines how much mămăligă you’ll make; it represents roughly 60% of the final volume.
Salt and heat: Add the salt and bring the water to a gentle simmer.
Add the cornmeal gradually: While whisking vigorously, sprinkle in the cornmeal slowly. Be careful—it will bubble and pop.
Cook by feel: As you whisk, you’ll feel the mixture thicken. It only takes a few minutes (depending on temperature, expect about 5 at most). Stop adding cornmeal once it reaches your desired consistency. The mămăligă is ready when it is fully thickened, hydrated, and sticks to and coats the whisk.
Turn out immediately: As soon as it’s ready, turn the mămăligă out onto a large plate so it doesn’t set in the pot.

Notes

For firm, sliceable mămăligă (about 6 cups / 1.5 L), use:

1 liter / 4 cups water
300–325 g / 1½–1⅔ cups medium cornmeal
1½–2 teaspoon salt

Optional traditional finish (for firm mămăligă) Let it sit 1–2 minutes, then cover the pot with a plate and flip it upside down to unmold it into a dome. Slice with a string or knife.

Nutrition