Cornbread in the USA is very different from the one I grew up eating. The Proja or Projara I grew up eating was savory, usually with feta cheese or kajmak, and much drier than the American version, which tends to be sweet, soft, and cake-like.
Proja has been eaten in the Balkans for as long as corn has been grown there. My grandparents have told me stories of life after WWII, when the entire Balkan region was under communist rule and how prevalent Proja was at the time in Balkan households. But what does communism have to do with Proja?
During that time, all citizens were required to surrender their wheat and flour to co-ops that were established, which was then exported out of the country and shipped off to many places including Russia who was a big influence at the time. This left only cornmeal for the farmers to eat.
Proja is synonymous with cabbage stew (both fresh and pickled) in the Balkans. It’s also served alongside bread during dinner parties and Slava. Or, it can simply be eaten with a bit of kajmak and cheese or crumbled up and drenched in milk.
The recipe I’m sharing with you today is how I was taught to make it by my grandmother, and I’ve been making it this way ever since. You can use either white or yellow corn flour; I use whichever I have on hand.
Starinska Proja / Old Fashioned Cornbread
Course: SidesCuisine: Balkan, Serbian4
servings5
minutes30
minutesA traditional bread substitute, Proja is seeped in tradition and perfect all year round.
Ingredients
3 cups (375 g) corn flour (either yellow or white is fine)
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder (pola kesice)
1.5 cups (350 ml) mineral/sparkling water
4 tablespoons (60 ml) oil
1/2 tsp (5 g) salt
- Optional Mix-in
Feta Cheese
Kajmak
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).
- Spray an 8×8 square baking pan with baking spray and ensure all corners and sides are well greased. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and then add in the oil, water, salt, baking powder, and lastly the flour. Mix well to combine all the ingredients.
- If making with feta cheese, add it to the mixture as well.
- Transfer the mixture to the greased baking pan and distribute evenly.
- Bake at 350 F (175 C) for around 30 minutes or until it is completely baked through. When it’s done, turn on your broiler and leave it under the broiler for just 2-3 minutes to get some color on top. Be careful not to burn it!
- Remove from the oven, cool slightly and serve.
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