ReceptnaptárProja (cornbread) with cheese and egg
Proja is the cornbread of Serbian cooking, made quickly in the oven from cornmeal, yogurt, eggs and white cheese. It is slightly crisp outside, and soft and crumbly within. It works for breakfast, alongside soup and as food for the road, and many Serbian families bake it on ordinary weekdays. It needs no yeast, so it can be on the table within an hour.
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Ingredients
Method
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- Preheat the oven to 190 °C (top and bottom heat) and butter or line a baking tin of about 20x30 cm.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl: cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs, add the yogurt and oil and mix until smooth.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and combine with a few strokes of a spatula - don't overmix, it's enough that there's no dry flour left.
- Fold two-thirds of the cubed cheese into the batter.
- Spread the mixture in the tin and sprinkle the top with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake at 190 °C for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden and a cocktail stick comes out clean.
- Take it out of the oven, let it cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then cut into squares.
- Serve lukewarm, topped with a fried egg if you like.
A Receptnaptár original recipe. Calories and protein are estimated.
Tips
- Mix the batter only until the dry flour disappears, because overmixed proja turns dense and chewy.
- Always preheat the oven, because the baking powder needs immediate heat to give the batter a good rise.
- Cut it while warm, but give it 5 minutes first, because straight from the oven it still crumbles and the squares fall apart.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add anything else?
Yes, ham, sausage, fried bacon or roasted peppers can all go in. Serbian home cooks often enrich it with whatever they find in the fridge.
What is it best served with?
Yogurt, sour milk, sour cream or ajvar. With a fried egg it makes a substantial breakfast, and it can also take the place of bread alongside soup.
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More south slavic ideas
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- Egg sandwich with ajvar
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- Kačamak (cornmeal porridge) with cheese and sour cream
- Popara - Serbian bread breakfast
- Scrambled eggs with bacon and kulen
- Ajvar and cheese sandwich
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