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    Cooking Gorgeous » Recipes » Breakfast and Brunch

    Kuymak (Mihlama)

    Published: Sep 21, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Kuymak (or Mihlama) is a regional breakfast dish originating from Turkey's northern Black Sea Region.

    It is made by melting the cornmeal and cheese together in a copper pan called "sahan" and is usually served with bread or simit.

    This delicious Turkish breakfast item is ready in 15 minutes and only requires 3 main ingredients!

    kuymak or mıhlama is served with simit as a breakfast item
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works
    • Ingredients You'll Need
    • How To Make Kuymak (Mihlama)
    • Top Tips From The Chef
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Kuymak (Mihlama)

    The best way to enjoy Kuymak (also known as Mihlama) is when it's still warm, and freshly made.

    Just like Kaygana (Turkish Omelette), this Black Sea specialty is usually served as a breakfast or brunch item.

    However, it is also perfect to serve as a snack or a light lunch along with some crusty bread and a bowl of Turkish Shepherd Salad (Coban Salatasi).

    kuymak - mıhlama is best enjoyed with simit

    Same as Menemen (Turkish Scrambled Eggs), this dish is traditionally cooked in a copper pan called "sahan".

    If you don't own a sahan dish, you can cook Kuymak in a non-stick pan and then serve it on a plate.

    Why This Recipe Works

    • It is extremely easy to make, ready in 15 minutes, and only requires three main ingredients!
    • You can serve Kuymak as a breakfast/brunch item, as a light lunch, or afternoon snack.
    • This simple dish is impressive enough to serve to your guests or to enjoy around the table with family.

    Ingredients You'll Need

    Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

    labeled picture of ingredients for mihlama
    • Cheese - The key ingredient for this delicious breakfast dish is cheese. The best options are aged cheeses that would get stringy when melted such as Cecil, Trabzon, kolot, or kasar cheese.
    • Cornmeal - It's a type of coarse flour ground from dried corn and is a common staple food that can have coarse, medium, and fine consistencies. Just like Hamsi Tava - Crispy Fried Anchovies, this recipe requires medium coarse cornmeal that is widely available at large supermarkets or Amazon.
    • Butter - Use good quality butter (salted or unsalted) for this dish as it will have a big impact on the flavor of the finished dish. You can substitute it with "Kaymak" which is similar to clotted cream.
    • Salt - The amount of salt you should use for this dish depends on the saltiness of the cheese and butter.

    How To Make Kuymak (Mihlama)

    This is a very simple recipe to make that requires a few simple ingredients.

    However, you need to follow a few simple steps to achieve the best results:

    Melt the butter in a sahan or a pan on medium heat and let it lightly brown.

    melting the butter in a copper pan

    Stir in the cornmeal gently with a wooden spoon until they are nicely combined. 

    adding the cornmeal to melted butter

    Lower the heat and keep stirring until the cornmeal turns slightly brown. 

    Sautéing the cornmeal until it turns slightly brown

    Add the water and let them cook until the cornmeal absorbs the water.

    stirring the mixture until nicely combined

    Add the cheese and keep stirring the mixture to make sure the cheese has melted and nicely combined with the cornmeal.

    the cheese is added to cooked cornmeal

    Stir in the boiling water and let the kuymak cook further until the water is absorbed and the butter appears on the surface.

    Kuymak is ready to serve

    Top Tips From The Chef

    • The best way to cook Kuymak-Mihlama is to use a wooden spoon or a silicon spatula.
    • Slowly stir the cornmeal and the cheese together until the cheese becomes stringy and gummy at the same time.
    • Using the right type of cheese for this dish is essential. Fresh cheeses such as feta or ricotta wouldn't work. The best cheeses are aged unpasteurized cow cheese that would string when heated.
    • Kuymak (or Mihlama) is best when served warm and freshly made. The Cheese would lose its stringiness when cold and the texture would get rubbery.

    Serving Suggestions

    I usually serve Kuymak as a part of a Turkish Breakfast/Brunch spread along with Cig Borek - Chebureki, Cilbir - Turkish Poached Eggs, Menemen - Turkish Scrambled Eggs, Simit (Turkish Sesame Bagel), Cheese Pide With Mushrooms, Muhammara - Acuka (Red Pepper Dip), or Spinach and Feta Borek.

    Recipe FAQs

    How to store the leftovers?

    Kuymak is best when served warm freshly made. However, if you have any leftovers, you can keep them refrigerated for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

    How to reheat Kuymak (Mihlama)?

    Place the leftover in a pan and gently reheat the kuymak until it is heated thoroughly. The texture and the consistency won't be the same as freshly made, however, it will still taste amazing when served on a slice of toasted bread or with a piece of simit.

    Related Recipes

    For more scrumptious regional Turkish dishes why not try:

    • cokertme kebabi served on a plate and garnished with parsley
      Cokertme Kebabi 
    • Circassian chicken served as a meze
      Çerkez Tavuğu - Circassian Chicken
    • arnavut cigeri
      Arnavut Cigeri - Turkish Liver
    • sliced Karadeniz Pidesi
      Karadeniz Pidesi

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making this regional breakfast dish Kuymak-Mihlama as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

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    Kuymak (Mihlama)

    Ayla Clulee
    Kuymak (or Mihlama) is a delicious regional breakfast dish originating from Turkey's northern Black Sea Region. 
    5 from 2 votes
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    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine Turkish
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 152 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 measuring spoons
    • 1 sahan
    • 1 wooden spoon

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 50 g butter
    • 25 g cornmeal
    • ½ cup tap water
    • 200 g cheese (Cecil, Trabzon, kolot or kasar cheese)
    • ¼ cup boiling water
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions
     

    • Melt the butter in a sahan or a pan on medium heat and let it lightly brown before adding the cornmeal.
    • Stir them gently with a wooden spoon until they are nicely combined.
    • Lower the heat and keep stirring until the cornmeal turns slightly brown.
    • Add the water and let them cook until the cornmeal absorbs the water before adding the cheese.
    • Keep stirring the mixture to make sure the cheese has melted and nicely combined with the cornmeal.
    • Add the boiling water and let the kuymak cook further until the water is absorbed and the butter appears on the surface.

    Notes

    • Slowly stir the cornmeal and the cheese together until the cheese becomes stringy and gummy at the same time.
    • Using the right type of cheese for this dish is essential. Fresh cheeses such as feta or ricotta wouldn't work. The best cheeses are aged unpasteurized cow cheese that would string when heated.
    • Kuymak (or Mihlama) is best when served warm and freshly made. The Cheese would lose its stringiness when cold and the texture would get rubbery.
    • This delicious Turkish breakfast item is ready in 15 minutes and only requires 3 main ingredients!
    • The best way to cook Kuymak - Mihlama is to use a wooden spoon or a silicon spatula.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 152kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 1gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 572mgPotassium: 242mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 532IUCalcium: 39mgIron: 0.3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    This post uses affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lisa

      September 24, 2022 at 4:12 am

      5 stars
      My husband loves this recipe! It is our favourite breakfast. Thanks for sharing this with us!

      Reply
    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Welcome to Cooking Gorgeous, where delicious easy-to-follow recipes and culinary inspiration await you! My name is Ayla Clulee, a passionate and professional Cordon Bleu-trained chef, recipe developer, and food content creator with decades of experience. I am based in the UK, and I'm thrilled to have you here.

    The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy.

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