Stuffed Baked Potato (Kumpir)
Kumpir Say it: koom-PEER
Kumpir is Istanbul’s beloved stuffed baked potato, especially famous in Ortaköy, where vendors split huge potatoes, mash the hot flesh with butter and kashar cheese, then load them with colorful salads, pickles, olives, corn, and sauces. It is eaten as a filling street-food meal, often at night or on weekends. The contrast of crisp skin, creamy cheesy mash, and crunchy, tangy toppings is what makes it special. At home, set out the toppings and let everyone build their own.
Stuffed Baked Potato (Kumpir)
Kumpir
Pronounced koom-PEER
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 15 min
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains milk, egg, mustard. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the potatoes
For the mash
For the toppings
Method
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Scrub and dry the potatoes, prick them several times with a fork, and rub with olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the skin is crisp and a knife slides in with no resistance, 60–75 minutes.
While the potatoes bake, prepare the toppings: drain the corn, chop the pickles, slice the olives, shred the cabbage, grate the carrot, cook the peas, and chop the parsley. Put the mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard in small bowls, grate the cheese, and soften the butter.
When the potatoes are done, let them rest for 5 minutes. Cut a deep cross into each potato, push the ends to open it, and scoop the flesh into a bowl, leaving a sturdy shell.
Mash the hot potato flesh with the butter, half the kashar, 1/2 tsp salt, and the pepper until smooth and fluffy. Taste and adjust the salt.
Spoon the mash back into the shells, mounding it gently. Scatter the remaining kashar on top and return to the oven for 5–8 minutes, until the cheese melts and bubbles at the edges.
Set each potato on a plate. Add a spoonful of mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard, then pile on the corn, pickles, olives, red cabbage, carrot, peas, and parsley. Serve immediately.
Regional variants
Some stalls add Russian salad, sliced sucuk, mushrooms, or hot dogs; for a vegetarian version, keep to the vegetable and cheese toppings.
Cook's notes
- Choose large, starchy potatoes; they mash fluffy and hold a generous pile of toppings.
- Keep the potato shells intact when scooping so they do not collapse under the fillings.
- Set out all toppings before the potatoes finish baking; kumpir is best assembled and eaten hot.
Serve with
Ayran (yogurt drink) or şalgam suyu (turnip juice).
Make ahead and storage
Bake the potatoes up to 1 day ahead; cool, wrap, and refrigerate. Reheat at 350°F (175°C) until hot, then mash with butter and cheese and add toppings.
