Recipe
Kumpir & Chunky Quinoa Kısır
By Meliz Cooks
It's essentially a jacket potato, but as a popular Istanbul street food - it comes with a twist.
Kumpir is a popular street-food originating from Istanbul, Turkey. Not just a jacket potato, what makes this unique to other baked potatoes is the way the cooked, tender centre of the potato is mashed together with butter & cheese before being loaded with a variety of unique toppings such as pickled red cabbage, Kısır (a fine bulgur wheat salad), olives, gherkins, sweetcorn & mayonnaise. Traditionally wrapped in foil in the oven, I am showing you my cheats’ version by using the AEG Combiquick Microwave to bake the potatoes as well as my microwaveable gluten-free quinoa version of Kısır.
Ingredients:
1. To make the pickled red cabbage, mix the red wine vinegar and sugar in a bowl until the sugar dissolves, then pour in the cold water, stir well and finally add the shredded red cabbage, stirring again ensuring that all of the cabbage is fully immersed in the liquid. Leave in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours before serving.
2. To make the quinoa kısır, place the dry quinoa into a small microwaveable bowl with the pepper paste and tomato puree, breaking down the pastes into the quinoa using the back of a spoon.
3. Once the quinoa has turned a lovely red colour, stir through the spices and salt, drizzle in 1 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil, add the cold water to the dish, stir well again, then cover the bowl with a small plate.
4. Place the covered bowl into the combiquick microwave and cook on high for 5 minutes, stirring half way through, then cook for another 5 minutes, stirring half way through again, and finally for another 3-4 minutes, again stirring half way through to prevent the quinoa from catching on the sides of the dish and drying out.
5. Take the dish out of the microwave but keep it covered with the plate for a further 5 minutes, then fluff the quinoa up with a fork and transfer to a large bowl to cool down.
6. Once the quinoa has cooled, add the remaining ingredients (the remaining 2tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, and all of the parsley, mint, spring onions, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice) to the dish and stir together well. Taste and feel free to add additional salt / pomegranate molasses / lemon juice if you feel necessary. Leave covered to one side (or in the fridge) until the potatoes are cooked and ready to serve.
7. To cook the potatoes, pierce each one all over with a fork. Place them straight onto the lowest rack in the combiquick microwave, and pop a large microwave-safe plate or dish on the bottom of the microwave to catch any bits of potato that may splutter from the fork holes while they cook.
8. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, then using a large pair of tongs, carefully turn the potatoes over and cook for another 4 minutes, turning again, then repeat 3-4 times at 2 minute intervals until the potatoes are tender but not over cooked (wrinkled). While the potatoes are in the oven, turn on the fan assisted cooking function to 200c (fan) and cook for 20 minutes to allow the skins to crisp up a little.
9. Once cooked, carefully remove the potatoes from the oven and onto a heat-proof board. Slice the potatoes lengthways through the middle, then using a fork, start to break down the soft flesh of the potatoes. Add an equal amount of butter and cheese to the centre of each potato, continuing to mash the ingredients into the flesh to create a soft, cheesy, buttery interior. Load up the potatoes with the red cabbage, quinoa kısır, sweetcorn, olives and gherkins, and drizzle over a very generous squeeze of mayonnaise. Serve immediately.
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