Ingredients
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4 large pcs Potatoes
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4 teaspoons Butter
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4 tablespoons cheese Mozzarella
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a pinch pickled cabbage
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1 pcs beetroot sliced
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4 small sausage chopped
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a pinch pickles sliced
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a pinch olives
Directions
Kumpir is a very simple and popular street food dish in Turkey. It is actually a Turkish version of baked potato or jacket potato as it is called in the UK. Unlike the jacket potato, which is usually served with cheese, beans and butter, there are many different side dishes to go with the potato.
As mentioned before, Kumpir is served with a variety of different toppings and combinations, depending on what you like. Some of them are shredded sheep cheese (kasseri or kaşar), mushrooms, butter, pickled cabbage, sliced beets, sweetcorn, black olives, and many more. It is not uncommon to find sausages or some other type of meat among the fillings.
Kumpir is especially popular in Istanbul, where there are countless street stands serving it. The best place to try it is thought to be in Istanbul’s Ortaköy district, located on the coast of the European part of the city. In addition to tasting the potatoes, there you can enjoy watching their preparation, which is a kind of art performance.
Kumpir as street food is widespread in other cities as well, especially in tourist cities such as Izmir and Ankara.
Kumpir Origin
Otherwise, potato originates from America and its origins are very well documented. It came to Turkey from Croatia, hence its name. The Croatian name for potato is krumpir, but in some dialects, it is also called kumpir or kompir. Interestingly, there is no similar dish in Croatia.
Apart from America and the United Kingdom, a similar dish exists in other cuisines. In Brazilian cuisine it is called batata inglesa or literally translated English potato. In French cuisine it is pomme de terre au four. It is also popular in Russia, Armenia and Brazil.
We saw this Kumpir recipe at one street food stand in Istanbul, and we tried to make it ourselves. It’s essentially very simple and fast.
Steps
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1
Done
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Wash 4 large potatoes well, coat them with olive oil to ensure they get crispy skin. Wrap them with aluminium foil and put them in the oven at 200-220 C. Bake them for 40-45 min. The easiest way to check is to stick a fork or a toothpick into the potato and see if the inside is soft. |
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2
Done
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While the potatoes are baking, sprinkle a frying pan with olive oil and briefly fry sausage that you sliced. When it is done, set it aside - it will be part of the filling. |
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3
Done
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When the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and unwrap them from the foil. Put them back in the oven for 10 minutes so the skin is nicely browned. |
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4
Done
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Remove the potatoes from the oven and cut them in half. Be careful because they are very hot inside. |
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5
Done
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While the potato is still hot, add 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of the cheese, salt and pepper and whisk together with the potato flesh until a fluffy mixture is obtained. |
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6
Done
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Add toppings to taste. I love the combination of fried sausages, pickles, sweetcorn, pickled cabbage and olives. This is my favourite topping - you can decide your own filling mix. That's what I love most about kumpir - the unlimited taste symphony. |
11 Comments Hide Comments
Kumpir looks really delicious with the toppings. It’s definitely worth trying. Thanks for the recipe.
yummy. What’s your twist? How do you make this popular recipe yours? I am curious to know your insights.
Wow, it seems so simple and delicious, particularly love the mix with the cheese!
I’ve never had Turkish food but this looks beyond delicious! I’ll definitely give it a try!
Omg! These look so freaking delicious. I’ve never heard of them before but the filling sounds realllllly good.
Wow this looks yum and delicious recipe I would love to try this at home 🙂
A person who can see things from other people’s ideas and who can understand other people’s spiritual activities will never have to worry about their future
I’m British and we eat plenty of potatoes, but learnt things about potatoes that I never knew before! These look so good. I’ve eaten Kumpir in Turkey, it’s delicious. Thanks for this receipe.
This sounds really yummy. I’ve not tried this before. These are fillings I wouldn’t have thought to use on potatoes.
I am going to try this recipe. As much as my family loves potatoes, I am sure they will enjoy this new dish I will make for them. Thanks for the recipe!
It’s called a Jacket Potato in the UK, not Jacked!