Kumpir — Istanbul’s Famous Stuffed Baked Potato

Kumpir is one of Istanbul’s most famous street foods: a large oven-baked potato, split open and mashed with butter and melted kashar cheese, then loaded with whatever your heart desires. It became especially popular in the Ortaköy neighborhood on the Bosphorus shore, where rows of street vendors have turned it into a true icon of Turkish street cuisine. Here is how to prepare authentic kumpir at home, with simple ingredients and rich flavor.

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

• 2 large baking potatoes (about 400 g each)
• 60 g butter
• 100 g grated kashar cheese
• Salt to taste
• 100 g sweet corn (drained)
• 50 g pitted black olives
• 50 g mixed pickles (cucumber, peppers, carrots), chopped
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
• 2 tbsp Russian salad (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 200°C. Wash the potatoes well, dry them and prick each one with a fork in several places.
2. Bake the potatoes 60–75 minutes until the skin is crisp and the inside fully soft (check with a fork).
3. Cut each potato lengthwise through the middle without cutting all the way; squeeze the ends gently so it opens up.
4. Put the butter and a little salt inside each potato, then the grated kashar; stir quickly with a fork until the cheese melts and the mixture turns creamy.
5. Fill the potatoes with corn, olives, pickles and Russian salad.
6. Drizzle with mayonnaise, ketchup and hot sauce to taste. Serve immediately, hot.

Time and servings: Prep 10 minutes; baking about 75 minutes. Servings: 2.