Georgia
Elarji with Mozzarella and Bryndza
Thick cornmeal with mozzarella and bryndza, inspired by the Georgian dish elarji.
- Cuisine
- Georgian cuisine
- Meal type
- Main course
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cooking
- 30 min
- Total
- 35 min
Recipe
In this home adaptation, mozzarella makes the cornmeal stretchy while bryndza adds a savoury, salty flavour.
Serve it hot: the mixture firms up as it cools.
Practical cooking
Ingredients
4 servings
For the elarji
- 250 g coarse polenta or corn grits
- 900 ml water (plus a little hot water as needed)
- ½ tsp salt (start with the listed amount, then adjust to taste)
- 300 g firm mozzarella for grating or pizza mozzarella
- 150 g bryndza sheep’s cheese
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 575 kcal2407 kJ
- Fat
- 27.7 g
- Saturated fat
- 17.4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 52.4 g
- Sugars
- 1.3 g
- Fibre
- 1.2 g
- Protein
- 28.3 g
- Salt
- 3.0 g
Calculated estimate. Actual values may vary depending on the ingredients used.
Cook flow
Instructions
Total: 35 min
- 1
Cook the cheesy cornmeal
Bring the water to a boil
Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan and add the listed amount of salt.
Cook the polenta
Gradually add the polenta, stirring continuously. Reduce the heat and cook gently for 20–25 minutes, stirring often. If it becomes too stiff, add a little hot water.
Prepare the cheese
While the polenta cooks, grate or tear the mozzarella into small pieces and crumble the bryndza.
Stir in the cheese
Turn the heat to low. Gradually stir in the mozzarella, then the bryndza. Stir for 5–8 minutes until the cheese is incorporated and the mixture becomes stretchy.
Adjust and serve
If the mixture is too thick, add a little hot water; if too loose, continue stirring gently for a little longer. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve hot.
Refine
Tips and variations
After cooking
Storage and serving
Knowledge graph