Recipe of the week: puliszka, or the Hungarian polenta

The puliszka, made from cornflour, was considered to be the meal of poor people, as it only needed a few cheap ingredients. Despite it being a simple dish, it can be quite delicious on its own or with a few alterations like adding bacon or cottage cheese to it.

The puliszka was mostly prepared for breakfast and dinner, but when times were harsh, it was often served as lunch, too. It is not a strictly Hungarian meal, as many versions of it are found in the Transylvanian, Romanian, Bulgarian and Slovenian cuisine as well. According to Heti Világgazdaság,

it is prepared with great variety in Bucovina, Moldva and Háromszék (regions in Romania and Transylvania).

Originally, it was made from buckwheat, but people later started replacing it with cornflour and this version proved to be more delicious and popular, writes NLcafé.

There is an endless number of ways in which you can spice it up, but first, let us take a look at the basic recipe:

Ingredients:
– 100 grams of cornflour
– 0.5 litres of water (or milk)
– salt to taste

Preparation:
Bring the water with a bit of salt to a boil and then pour the cornflour into it. Stir constantly and slowly, as the cornflour might become lumpy, and this should be avoided. After 20 minutes, take it off the stove and stir for 2-3 more minutes. You can wait for it to harden or you can start eating it while it is soft like pudding.

Puliszka with milk
http://www.nosalty.hu/recept/tejes-puliszka

Puliszka was often eaten in itself or as a side dish with chicken paprikás or stuffed cabbage. Some of the many ways in which you can eat it include adding cottage cheese and sour cream or milk to it, or

taking a sweet turn and garnish it with sugar and cinnamon or with jam.

There are variations on the hardened puliszka too, for example, the ‘görhe’ which is basically a puliszka patty. Wait for the puliszka to harden, cut out small circles and bake these. Or you can slice up the puliszka with the help of a thread, grill it on both sides and serve it with melted butter as a main dish or as a side dish with meats or grilled vegetables.

featured image: http://www.nosalty.hu/szakacs/nosalty

Source: Daily News Hungary