Proja

Ingredients

Dry

• 300 gfine maize flour
• 100 gplain flour
• 2 tspbaking powder
• 1 tspsalt

Wet

• 3eggs
• 300 mlplain yoghurt
• 150 mlsparkling mineral water
• 100 mlsunflower oil

Cheese

• 300 gyoung white brined cheese, crumbled
• or 200 g feta and 100 g cottage cheese

Sometimes added

• 150 gkajmak
• 2 tbspchopped chives
• 150 gcooked spinach, squeezed dry

Equipment

• a baking tin about 20 by 30 cm, well greased

To serve

• yoghurt
• as a side to grilled meat

Directions

1. Rinse feta briefly if it is very salty. Crumble it rather than grating it. Whisk the maize flour, plain flour, baking powder and salt together.
2. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Whisk in the yoghurt and the oil. Pour the wet into the dry and mix briefly. Add it just before the batter goes in the tin. The bubbles lighten the crumb and they escape if it stands.
3. Stir it in with a few strokes only. Do not beat the batter, which makes it dense. Fold most of the crumbled cheese through the batter. Keep a handful back for the top.
4. Add the spinach or chives now if you are using them. The batter should be thick and pourable. Add a splash more sparkling water if it is very stiff. Add a spoonful of maize flour if it is runny. Getting it into the tin takes no time.
5. Grease the tin thoroughly, including the corners. A hot tin gives a better crust on the base. Pour in the batter and level it roughly. Scatter the reserved cheese over the surface. Dot kajmak over the top if you are using it.
6. Heat the oven to 190C in good time. Bake it for forty to forty-five minutes. It should be golden brown and firm on top.
7. Cover it loosely with foil if it colours too fast. Let it sit in the tin for ten minutes. Serving it is done while warm. Cut it into squares in the tin. Serve it warm rather than hot. It keeps for two days and is best warmed through.

Technique

• Add the sparkling water last, since the bubbles escape if the batter stands.
• The wheat flour is there to bind it, as maize has no gluten of its own.
• Let it sit in the tin for ten minutes, since it is fragile straight from the oven.

Substitutions

• Feta in place of Serbian white brined cheese.
• Sour cream in place of kajmak.

Variations

• With spinach folded through it.
• With crumbled fried bacon in the batter.
• Made plain, with no cheese at all.

History

Cornbread of maize flour, sometimes enriched with cheese; maize became a Balkan staple after arriving from the Americas.

Frequently asked questions

What is Proja?

Proja is a bread & pastry from Serbia: cornbread with white cheese, everyday side. Cornbread of maize flour, sometimes enriched with cheese; maize became a Balkan staple after arriving from the Americas.

How long does Proja take to make?

Proja takes 20 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 1 tray, serving 8. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Proja?

Yes, within limits. Feta in place of Serbian white brined cheese. Sour cream in place of kajmak.

What is the most important thing to get right in Proja?

Rinse feta briefly if it is very salty. Crumble it rather than grating it. Whisk the maize flour, plain flour, baking powder and salt together.