The first time I stumbled upon the recipe for Tumbet Mallorquin I knew I had to make it. I am a big believer that vegetables, when cooked the right way, can transform into some of the most delicious and elegant dishes one can eat-- and Mallorcan tumbet is a perfect example. A simple dish of vegetables, gently fried in extra virgin olive oil and then baked together in the oven, Mallorcan tumbet is similar to French ratatouille or Spanish pisto-- it's unclear which version came first! As we roll into mid-September here in Madrid, this Mallorcan tumbet recipe is one of those home cooked meals that warms you right up on a crisp fall day.
The dish is straightforward and simple to prepare, and like many Mediterranean dishes depends completely upon the quality of the ingredients. Buy fresh and seasonal vegetables when possible, fry in extra virgin olive oil, and top off with flaky sea salt for best results!
If I ever make it to Mallorca I know I'll be searching for this dish everywhere from my poolside resort to the tiny beachside restaurants! Even the relaxing Club Mac Alcudia Resort would be bound to have it in the buffet!
Mallorcan Tumbet Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 small potatoes or 4 large ones sliced thin
- 5 large garlic cloves skins on
- 1 large onion cut into thick strips
- 1 small zucchini sliced
- 1 long green pepper Italian, cut into strips
- 1 small eggplant sliced
- 1 small red pepper cut into strips
- Homemade tomato sauce or good quality store bought
- Flour
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Wash and cut the vegetables as described above.
- Heat an inch of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan.
- Fry the garlic cloves (skins on) to flavor the oil.
- Remove the garlic after a couple of minutes and reserve.
- You are going to fry the rest of the vegetables, one by one, then drain excess oil on paper towels (so have them ready)
- Start with the zucchini slices, which will fry for about 3 minutes. Remove onto paper towels and sprinkle with a bit of salt.
- Next fry the potatoes. These will take 5-10 minutes to fully cook. Remove when golden brown and cooked through.
- The peppers can fry together, for about 5 minutes.
- Fry the onions for about 2 minutes. Make sure you are resting everything on paper towels after frying!
- Finally, dredge the eggplant slices in flour and fry for about 4 minutes, until browned and crispy.
- Now assemble the tumbet, which is similar to making a lasagna.
- Start with a layer of tomato sauce, then eggplant, zucchini, onion, pepper, and potato.
- Top with another layer of sauce, and a sprinkle of sea salt. You could also add in the garlic cloves (peel first) if you'd like.
- Bake for 25 minutes at 350°
- It isn't traditional, but after baking you can add cheese and put it under the broiler. You could also crack a few eggs on top and broil until just cooked. Both would be delicious options!
Nutrition
When you take it out of the oven let it rest for a few minutes and then serve. It makes the perfect side dish at dinner, or a vegetarian entree as well. If you opted to add eggs or cheese, it's even more filling and delicious.
I can't wait to visit the Balearic Islands and discover the flavors of Mallorca one day soon, but until then you can find me making the Mallorcan tumbet and pretending I'm there...
Have you ever tried any Mallorcan foods?
Feature photo by: Breville USA (I usually eat this too quickly to photograph it!)
Gaspar
Hi Lauren, great blog, first of all.
Tumbet is a traditional recipe, so multiple versions must exist.
What I've never seen (I'm mallorcan)is the onion slices as a layer.
At home we use small chopped onion only for the tomato sauce. So if next time you want to try, leave the red peppers for the last fry with more garlic, and when almost done, add the chopped onion, laurel leaves, moraduix (similar to oregano, called mejorana in spanish) and when golden add the tomato sauce. You'll make it quicker.
As for the oven...cheese is not traditional.
It's a summer dish, so you can eat it warm or cold, no matter alone or with fried meat or eggs... always some bread for dipping the sauce 😉
Lynn
By tomato sauce do you just mean passata ie pureed tomatoes or a sugo ie tomatoes cooked with onion and/or garlic?
Em
is the red pepper a spicy pepper or a bell pepper?
Lauren Aloise
Bell pepper!
Sel Runn
yes, this is good but to make it spectacular ...just before serving i add grated cheese and once again in the oven til melted and crispy. What a nice finale....let me know if you have tried it this way. Almost a veggie pizza
Pati
I made this last night and it was fantastic! My prep time was a bit longer but all of it was worth it. ... I could not find Italian peppers so I used poblanos.
Lauren Aloise
Yum! Yes - it's a time consuming recipe, but delicious!!
Nerissa
Can i prepare tumbet and cook it the following day?
Lauren Aloise
Definitely!
Siobhan
I live in Mallorca and have tried many versions of Tumbet made by local people. This recipe is very close to my favourite version of Tumbet on this beautiful island.
Lauren Aloise
So glad to hear it! So delicious!
Susan Cobley
A delicious authentic recipe well done. Just close your eyes and let the memories of the food flavours of Majorca come floating back.
Jenna
Made this last night, it turned out great! Frying everything separately takes a while but is worth it in the end!
Cat of Sunshine and Siestas
Kike just made pisto - it was the delicious, but a pain to make! We just got a termomix, so hopefully that can cut down on time, though tumbet sounds even tastier!
Trevor Huxham
You had me at “pisto,” one of my favorite Spanish dishes. This sounds super delicious, kind of like a pisto casserole but with potatoes added! I like the new recipe template you’ve got here—nice and easy to follow ^_^