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Turkish

Kuymak

Vegetarian

A Black Sea breakfast of cornmeal cooked in plenty of butter and water, then stirred with stretchy melting cheese until it pulls into long strings. Eaten from the pan with bread.

Kuymak is a Turkish main course from Türkiye, ready in about 20 minutes and made with butter, cornmeal and mozzarella. It serves 2 and is rated easy to cook.

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Traditional Turkish mıhlama with bread served on a rustic wooden table setting.
Photo: Mavi Yıldız Restoran Cumalıkızık Bursa / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
5 min
Cook
15 min
Total
20 min
Serves
2
Level
Easy
Calories
548

Ingredients

2 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Melt the butter (opens in a new tab) in a small frying pan. Add the cornmeal (opens in a new tab) and stir for 2–3 minutes until it smells toasty.

  2. Step 2

    Pour in the hot water and salt, whisking to avoid lumps, and cook, stirring, until thick and bubbling.

    • 5 min
    • medium-low heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the cheese and stir gently but continuously until it melts and the butter (opens in a new tab) begins to separate and pool around the edges. Serve at once in the pan with bread.

    • 6 min
    • low heat

    The separated butter on top is a sign it is ready.

About this dish

Origin
Eastern Black Sea (Trabzon, Rize), Türkiye · Well documentedMore food from Türkiye
Dish
Breakfast · Brunch · Main courses
Cooking method
Pan-fried, Simmered
Taste
buttery, rich, salty, mild
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Without the optional extras: Whole-food focused, No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pan · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Butter · Cornmeal · Mozzarella
Techniques
Pan-frying · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom butter, mozzarella
  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom crusty bread / baguette
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom crusty bread / baguette
  • May contain: Sesamefrom crusty bread / baguette

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

548 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 287 g · recipe makes 2

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 14%
  • Carbohydrate 18%
  • Fat 68%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy548 kcal191 kcal
Protein19.3 g6.7 g
Carbohydrate24.9 g8.7 g
Net carbohydrate22.7 g7.9 g
Sugars0.2 g0.1 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre2.2 g0.8 g
Fat42 g14.7 g
Saturated fat26 g9.1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol124 mg43 mg
Sodium1154 mg403 mg
Salt equivalent2.9 g1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
150 mg
Calcium
403 mg
Iron
1.4 mg
Magnesium
57 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
343 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
1.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
14 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: crusty bread / baguette.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Common mistakes

  • Using a cheese that doesn't stretch — kuymak should pull into long strings.

Serve with

  • With bread, black tea and fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.

Storage

  • Eat immediately; it sets as it cools.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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