Mulgipuder Estonian potato and barley mash

Name: Mulgipuder Estonian potato and barley mash
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Eastern European
Ingredients: 200g pearl barley; 800g floury potatoes, peeled and chunked; 200g smoked streaky bacon, diced; 2 onions, finely chopped; 50g butter; 1 tsp fine salt; 0.5 tsp ground black pepper; 200ml soured cream, to serve

A rustic Estonian mash of creamy potato and pearl barley, topped with crisp bacon and onion. Pure comfort.

Time1 hr 15
LevelEasy
Costabout £1.16 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

4 servings

Ingredients

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200 gpearl barley
800 gfloury potatoespeeled and chunked
200 gsmoked streaky bacondiced
2onionsfinely chopped
50 gbutter
1 tspfine salt
½ tspground black pepper
200 mlsoured creamto serve

Method

1
Rinse the barley and put in a pan with plenty of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes until tender. Drain.
40 min
2
Boil the potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes until soft. Drain, keeping a mug of the water.
20 min
3
Mash the potatoes with the butter, salt and pepper, then beat in the barley, adding a splash of the potato water until it is thick but creamy.
4
Fry the bacon in a dry pan over a medium heat for 6 minutes until crisp, then add the onions and cook for 8 minutes until golden.
14 min
5
Spoon the mash into bowls, top with the bacon and onions and a spoon of soured cream.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.