How to make
Muhlama is a gorgeous Turkish spread, that I'm devastated I didn't know of before. It is so easy to prepare and so delicious that there is hardly anyone who would not like it - after all, many people love yellow cheese and everything that is made with it.
It would be wonderful to use Turkish yellow cheese for Muhlama, which is stringy, but there are also others with similar qualities. You can even experiment with more modern cheeses, such as Gouda, Gruyere and Cheddar, as long as they are not very ripe and hard.
Of the Italian cheeses, a suitable one would be Provolone and mozzarella, which is used for pizza. Emmental is also suitable as a texture, but I do not recommend it because of the special taste, that doesn't suit this wonderful spread.
To prepare Muhlama, melt the butter over a moderate heat so that it does not burn. Use as a pan with a thick bottom, or the original Turkish cookware with two handles, from which actually comes the name of this spread
Fry the corn semolina in the butter, while stirring at all times. When it starts smelling nice, you will know that it is ready and you do not have to wait for it to aquire a brown color.
Gradually pour the water (to make it easier, you can preheat it first) and stir until a smooth mixture is obtained. Now is the time to season with salt if the cheese you're using is not very salty.
Boil briefly until it thickens and then pour the grated yellow cheese and stir until it melts and a smooth, stretchy mixture is obtained.
The proportions of corn flour and yellow cheese can vary according to your taste.
It is best to serve the Muhlama warm before the yellow cheese sets, so that a piece of bread, crunchy crackers and toasted slices of bread can be dipped in it.
If it is prepared in the original dish with two handles, it is served directly in it on the table and if it is in a pan, it can be transferred into a clay bowl.
In its authentic version, Muhlama is sprinkled with cinnamon, but for those like me who do not like it very much, it would be very suitable to garnish it with walnuts and raisins.
Enjoy your meal!
