The 5ish-min breakfast bowl to have up your sleeve

A bowl of cornmeal porridge went a long way in my family home.

Sometimes a quick childhood fav of cornmeal, butter, milk and salt does the trick Source: Supplied

Stream free On Demand

Better Bowls

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

26m

PG

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

26m

PG

Another day, another bowl of breakfast to bookmark.

Pura is a Bosnian cornmeal porridge that featured heavily on my breakfast table. It was an inexpensive pantry staple that was easy, and quick to handle and created the best base for any savoury toppings we had on hand. It was a weekend comfort food, but more often than not it was primed for those weekdays when time wasn't on our side, especially when it was a scramble to get out the door.

From creamy Mediterranean polenta and Southern grits to East African ugali and Chilean pastel de choclo, many cuisines already praise a bowl of maize. As expected across the Balkans, there are also slight iterations of pura being spooned - kačamak in Macedonia, močnik in Slovenia, and mămăligă in Romania - all featuring the likes of cornmeal usually boiled in water or milk, seasoned to taste and served with a good dose of dairy.

Pura is typically made with cornmeal that has been boiled in salted water and finished with regular or buttermilk, and topped with kajmak (a clotted cream), yoghurt, or sour cream (make your own with this easy recipe). If you're feeling a little edgy then garlic and cheese can also be thrown into this mix or even topped with chopped cured beef. This naturally gluten-free bowl is great all year round and is best eaten warm/hot as it sets relatively quickly.

Coarse cornmeal or instant polenta is where this recipe begins. Source: Supplied

Cornmeal and polenta are terms that can be used interchangeably and are often referring to the same creamy golden ticket. While cornmeal typically refers to the ingredient, polenta the dish, we're not going to hold you back from wielding your porridge potential based on a technicality. Instead, I'm here to make sure you use cornmeal or instant polenta, which is much coarser than semolina and cornflour and saves you on the drawn-out cooking time. I did promise 5-ish minutes, didn't I?

All the basics: cornmeal, butter, milk, sour cream and salt. Source: Supplied

How to make pura at home

Heat in a medium saucepan:

• 2 cups water

Add:

• 50 g butter
• Good pinch salt

Bring to a boil, ensuring the butter has melted. Reduce the heat and add:

• 1 cup cornmeal or polenta

Stirring consistently for 3-4 minutes until the water has evaporated and the soft porridge remains. This is also where you can add extra butter for creaminess or crumble in some of your favourite cheese if cheese is your life. #cheeseisalwayslife

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, heat:

• 2 cups milk or buttermilk

Until hot, not boiling. In the interest of time, you would want to heat the milk and porridge at the same time so they are both warm. 

Divvy up your porridge between two bowls. Pour the warm milk over the top. 

If you used buttermilk and/or cheese, you can salt and pepper to taste. If you used regular (or sweet) milk you can salt, to taste.

Serve with a dollop of sour or clotted cream and go forth with a big spoon.

Don't panic if you don't eat all the polenta in one sitting or if it cools and hardens in the saucepan. It also makes a great base for a batch of polenta chips for later that night. Boom!

Best served warm. Source: Supplied

Love the story? Follow the author here: Instagram @farahceljo.