Submitted by Lea Eldar Gabbay
I would like to share with you a traditional Romanian recipe from my mom Roza Bin that passed away 14 years ago, Of Blessed Memory. It is especially traditional dairy dish for Shavuoth holiday. It is between a cake and a sweet dairy dinner meal. In my childhood, when I and my brothers were young, my mom used to do “Malai” for fun dinner whenever we asked. Usually, it’s for Shavuot holyday!
My mom loved this “cake” very much and all of our family and neighbors as well. Then, after years, when I had my own family and had my children, she used to spoil my sons with this hot delicious Malai, sometimes when they were staying with her. Now a days, since my mom passed away, I’m making this for my family, as well for my brother and sister and it is a sweet reminder for us of our mom! My good friends like it very much also and waiting for me to prepare it for them too. I like to make it, except the reason it is delicious, it fills the kitchen with sweet warming smells of my childhood and home and above all, remind me my beautiful mother! Here is the recipe.
Roza’s Malai (from my mother, Roza)
Ingredients
- 400 gr corn flour. Fine, good quality (polenta)
- 5 spoons self-rising white flour
- 4 plain yogurt (in Israel I’m using “Eshel”)
- 500 gr farmers cheese (in Israel “Tuv Taam” or “knaan”)
- 2 vanilla powder bags
- Cort salt
- 10 spoons sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 glass of milk
- 100 gr butter
Directions
Preparing instructions:
- Turn on the oven to 180 Celsius degree (350 Fahrenheit)
- In a big bowl combine all the dry ingredients: corn flour, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt and add the cheese.
- In a small pot bring to boil, milk and butter. Once boil, take off and pour on top of the ingredients in bowl. Stir all well.
- Pure all in an Oblong baking dish greased with butter.
- Bake for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your oven. The cake needs to be yellow light brown gold, a little soft to touch
- Recommend to bake it the closest you can to serving time. The leftover can be warmed later in microwave.
- Serving:
- In an individual plate add cold sour cream on top of a piece and enjoy it hot! The combination hot and cold, sweet and sour is delicious!
- Enjoy!
