Hünkar Beğendi (Lamb Stew on Smoky Aubergine Purée)

Name: Hünkar Beğendi (Lamb Stew on Smoky Aubergine Purée)
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 600 g Boneless lamb or beef, in 3 cm cubes; 1 Onion, chopped; 2 Tomatoes, grated; 1 tbsp (15 ml) Tomato paste; 2 tbsp (30 ml) Olive oil; 1 Green pepper, chopped; 1 tsp (5 ml) Turkish red pepper flakes (pul biber); 1 tsp (5 ml) Salt (for the stew); 500 ml Hot water; 800 g Aubergines (eggplants), for the purée; 40 g Butter; 3 tbsp (45 ml) Plain flour; 400 ml Warm milk; 60 g Kaşar or mild cheddar, grated; 1 tbsp (15 ml) Lemon juice; 0.5 tsp (2.5 ml) Salt (for the purée); Nutmeg, grated (optional)

Tender braised lamb spooned over a béchamel made with fire-charred aubergine and cheese, so smoky and smooth it is said to have made a sultan sigh, the sultan liked it, which is what its name means.

Source

Recipe by Turkish home kitchens · 🏺 Traditional · Household and neighbourhood cooking carried across Türkiye — no single author owns these dishes

Turkish · traditional dish — An ownerless traditional dish, so no individual cook is credited. The cited article documents hünkâr beğendi as an Ottoman dish of lamb stew served over a purée of smoked aubergine and cheese. Quantities and step wording here are this book's own.

Background on Wikipedia ↗

Watch it being made · 3 videos

Hungry Man Kitchen Abdurrahman Küçük Restaurant Turkey Two Cultures One Roof

⏱ 110 min🍽 4 servings🔥 520 kcal🇹🇷 Turkey

Halal

Steps

Start the stew: heat the olive oil and brown the meat cubes in batches until deeply coloured on all sides.
Add the onion and green pepper and cook until soft.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then add the grated tomato, pepper flakes and salt.
Pour in the hot water, cover, and simmer gently for about 1 hour until the meat is fork-tender and the sauce thick, adding a splash more water if it dries.
Meanwhile, char the aubergines: set them straight over a gas flame or under a hot grill, turning, until the skins blister black all over and the flesh collapses.
💡 This charring is the whole point — the smoke it gives the flesh is what makes hünkar beğendi taste of itself.
Put the charred aubergines in a bowl, cover, and leave 5 minutes to steam, which loosens the skin.
Peel off all the blackened skin, then mash the smoky flesh with the lemon juice to keep it from browning.
In a wide pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour, cooking 1–2 minutes to a pale paste.
Whisk in the warm milk a little at a time to keep it lump-free, until it thickens to a loose sauce.
Stir in the mashed aubergine and cook 3–4 minutes until it comes together into a smooth, thick purée.
Beat in the grated cheese, salt and a little nutmeg until melted and glossy.
Spread the warm aubergine béchamel onto plates.
Spoon the lamb stew and its sauce into the middle and serve at once.

💡 Tips

Char the aubergines over a real flame if you can — an oven bakes them soft but gives none of the smoke.
Keep the purée loose enough to spread and serve straight away — it stiffens as it cools.