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4.78 from 22 votes

How to Cook Basic Polenta – Mamaliga

How to cook basic polenta or Romanian mamaliga, creamy or sturdy.
Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time42 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Romanian
Diet: Low Fat, Vegetarian
Servings: 4
Calories: 226kcal
Author: Adina

Ingredients

  • Sturdy polenta (Note):
  • 1 ⅔ cup coarse cornmeal 250 g
  • 4 ¼ cups water 1 liter
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons fine salt
  • Soft polenta (Note):
  • 1 ⅔ cup medium cornmeal 250 g
  • 6 cups water 1.4 liter
  • 1 ½ teaspoons fine salt

Instructions

  • Heat the water in a large pot but don't let it come to a boil (it helps against the formation of lumps). Add the salt.
  • Slowly add the cornmeal while stirring or whisking (with an egg beater, not a mixer) all the time. A word of caution - be careful when the polenta starts to bubble; if the bubbles are too big, you might get burned – so turn the heat down if that happens.
  • Stir: When all the cornmeal is incorporated, continue stirring or whisking shortly to ensure no lumps. Turn the heat down, place a lid on top, but leave a crack open. Stir every 3 minutes or so, but there is no need to stir all the time.
  • Cook: Read the cooking instructions on the polenta packet to know how long the cornmeal needs to be cooked. I cook the polenta made with coarse cornmeal for 40 to 50 minutes and the polenta made with medium cornmeal for about 15 minutes.
  • Serve immediately or leave to cool if you want to use it another way.

Notes

The cooking procedure is the same for both kinds of polenta; you will only need more water to make the softer polenta. You can use either medium or coarse ground cornmeal, but read the packet's instructions to make sure that you know the indicated cooking times.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the dish | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 693mg | Fiber: 5g