Mulgipuder
A thick Estonian potato-and-barley mash topped with crispy bacon and sweet fried onions — a simple, hearty dish from Mulgimaa.
Ingredients
- potato800 g
- pearl barley180 g
- water700 ml
- salt1 to taste
- bacon150 g
- onion1 pcs
- butter30 g
Instructions
Rinse the pearl barley in hot water, then soak it in cold water for 2 hours to help it soften faster.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Drain the barley.
Put the potatoes in the bottom of a pot, scatter the barley on top, add salt, and pour in 700 ml of water — it should almost cover the ingredients.
Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and cook over low heat for 40–50 minutes, without stirring too often, until the potatoes and barley are very soft and the liquid has almost fully absorbed.
Cut the bacon into small cubes and the onion into half-rings. Fry the bacon in a dry skillet for 5–7 minutes, then add the onion and cook for another 8–10 minutes until golden.
Add butter to the hot potato-and-barley mixture and mash with a potato masher into a thick, slightly lumpy mash; a few whole barley grains may remain.
Serve the mulgipuder hot, topped with the bacon and onions.
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