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Romanian · Moldovan

Mămăligă cu brânză și smântână

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Thick, golden Romanian cornmeal porridge served hot with crumbled salty sheep's cheese and cool sour cream. Peasant food that is loved across Romania and Moldova.

Mămăligă cu brânză și smântână is a Romanian side dish, ready in about 35 minutes and made with cornmeal, feta and sour cream. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
5 min
Cook
30 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
512

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Bring the salted water to the boil. Pour in the cornmeal (opens in a new tab) in a thin stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.

  2. Step 2

    Reduce the heat and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until very thick and it pulls away from the sides of the pan. Stir in the butter (opens in a new tab).

    • 25 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Thick cornmeal bubbles and spits — stir with a long spoon.

  3. Step 3

    If adding eggs (opens in a new tab), fry them in a little butter (opens in a new tab) over medium heat until the whites are set. Turn the mămăligă out onto a board or spoon onto plates and serve hot, topped with crumbled cheese, sour cream (opens in a new tab) and the eggs.

    • 5 min
    • medium heat
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Romania · Commonly attributedEqually a staple in Moldova; maize porridge is eaten across the region.Also popular in MoldovaMore food from Romania
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Side dishes · Main courses · Porridge & cereals
Cooking method
Boiled, Simmered
Taste
mild, salty, creamy, tangy
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Without the optional extras: Lacto-vegetarian, Egg-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly · Everyday
Cook more with
Cornmeal · Feta · Sour cream · Butter
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom butter, feta, sour cream
  • Contains, can be adapted: Eggsfrom egg

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

512 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 422 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 10%
  • Carbohydrate 40%
  • Fat 50%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy512 kcal121 kcal
Protein13.5 g3.2 g
Carbohydrate52.3 g12.4 g
Net carbohydrate47.8 g11.3 g
Sugars2.1 g0.5 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre4.6 g1.1 g
Fat28.7 g6.8 g
Saturated fat15.9 g3.8 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol90 mg21 mg
Sodium1243 mg295 mg
Salt equivalent3.1 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
275 mg
Calcium
328 mg
Iron
2.5 mg
Magnesium
99 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
183 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0.2 µg
Vitamin B12
1 µg
Folate (DFE)
35 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: egg.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Serve with

  • The classic partner for sarmale, tochitură and fried fish.

Storage

  • Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; they set firm.

Reheating

  • Slice cold mămăligă and fry or grill until crisp.

Variations

  • Bulz: Mămăligă shaped around cheese into balls and baked or grilled.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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