- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 100 g
- 400 ml
- 200 ml
- 50 g
- 250 g
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
Process
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Warm the 400 ml whole milk with the 200 ml water in a small saucepan over low heat until steaming but not boiling. Keep it warm while you start the cornmeal.
Melt 40 g of the butter in a wide, heavy non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the 100 g fine cornmeal and stir constantly for 2 minutes so the grains toast lightly and smell nutty but do not brown.
Pour the warm milk and water into the pan in a steady stream, whisking hard the whole time to stop lumps forming. The mixture will thicken almost immediately.
Lower the heat and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the base, until the cornmeal is fully softened and pulls away from the sides of the pan in a thick mass. Stir in the 1 tsp fine salt.
Add the 250 g string cheese in three handfuls, stirring after each addition until it melts into long, stretchy strands. Keep the heat low so the cheese melts without the cornmeal catching.
Cook for 2 more minutes until the muhlama is glossy and elastic, then taste and add more salt if needed. Spoon it into one shallow serving dish or divide between four small bowls.
Melt the remaining 10 g butter in a tiny pan over medium heat, add the 1 tsp sweet paprika and swirl for 20 to 30 seconds until it foams and smells fragrant. Pour the sizzling paprika butter over the muhlama and finish with the 0.5 tsp black pepper if using. Serve immediately with bread and forks for pulling the cheese.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The one mistake most people make is adding cold liquid to the cornmeal, which seizes into lumps. Warm the milk and water first and pour slowly while whisking.
- Do not walk away once the cheese goes in: cornmeal scorches in seconds. Keep the heat low and stir constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- The tell-tale sign it is done is a thick, glossy mixture that stretches into long elastic threads when you lift the spoon; if it is still grainy on the tongue, cook it 2 minutes longer with a splash of warm milk.
- Use a wide heavy pan rather than a small deep one so the liquid evaporates evenly and the cornmeal cooks through without steaming into a gluey paste.
Substitutions
- string cheese→low-moisture mozzarella or kashkaval, torn into small pieces
- whole milk→half whole milk and half vegetable stock for a less rich version
- butter→ghee or olive oil, though the flavour will be less traditional
- fine cornmeal→fine polenta, ground a little finer in a spice grinder first
Storage & reheating
Muhlama is at its best straight from the pan and does not reheat perfectly, but leftovers can be kept in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a non-stick pan over low heat with 1 to 2 tbsp milk stirred in to loosen it, or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until hot and stretchy again. Do not freeze it: the cornmeal turns watery and the cheese loses its pull.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my muhlama turn out lumpy?
Lumps form when cold liquid hits hot cornmeal or when it is added too fast. Warm the milk and water first, pour in a thin steady stream, and whisk constantly; if lumps still appear, press them out with the back of a spoon against the side of the pan.
What cheese can I use if I cannot find Turkish string cheese?
Any low-moisture cheese that melts into long strands works: kashkaval, low-moisture mozzarella, or a young cheddar mixed with a little mozzarella. Avoid feta, which stays crumbly, and cream cheese, which makes the mixture heavy rather than stretchy.
Why is my muhlama grainy instead of smooth?
The cornmeal was not cooked long enough or the heat was too high, so the grains stayed coarse. Cook it on low for 6 to 8 minutes after adding the liquid, stirring and scraping the base, until it tastes soft with no grit; add a splash of warm milk if it tightens too much.
Can I make muhlama ahead of time?
You can cook the cornmeal base up to 1 day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, then reheat it with a little milk before melting in the cheese. The cheese stage must be done just before serving, because muhlama firms up and loses its stretch as it cools.
How do I know when the muhlama is ready to serve?
It is ready when the mixture is thick, glossy and pulls away from the sides of the pan, and a spoon lifted from it trails long elastic threads of cheese. If it slides off the spoon in a thin stream, cook it 1 to 2 minutes more.
Can I use water instead of milk?
Yes, some Black Sea cooks make it with water alone, but the result is less rich and slightly firmer. A good middle ground is half milk and half water, which keeps the muhlama creamy without being too heavy for breakfast.
Why did my muhlama burn on the bottom?
The heat was too high once the cheese went in, or the pan was too thin. Use a heavy non-stick pan, keep the heat low after adding the cheese, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping the base so nothing sits still long enough to catch.
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