Hünkar Beğendi (Lamb on Smoky Aubergine Cream)
The “sultan's delight” of Ottoman palace cooking — tender lamb stewed with tomato and peppers, spooned over a silky purée of flame-charred aubergine whisked into a cheesy béchamel.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 800 g boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 3 cm cubes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 long green peppers, chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 300 g tomatoes, grated
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper, ground
- 400 ml hot water
- 1 kg aubergines (about 4 medium)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 50 g butter
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 400 ml milk, warm
- 80 g kashkaval or gruyère, grated
- 10 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Nutrition (estimated)
high confidenceRecipe total: 3886 kcal · P 238.4g · C 166.7g · F 256.2g
Estimated from 18 of 18 ingredients
Approximate estimate, calculated from the ingredients.
Steps
Steps
- 1Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan over high heat and brown the lamb in two batches, 5 minutes each. Return all the meat, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, then the garlic and peppers for 2 minutes.
- 2Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then add the grated tomatoes, thyme, 1 tsp of the salt, the pepper and the hot water. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the lamb is very tender and the sauce has thickened.
- 3Meanwhile char the aubergines whole directly over a gas flame or under a very hot grill for 15–20 minutes, turning, until the skins are black and the flesh has collapsed.
- 4Split them, scoop the flesh into a sieve, discarding the skins, and toss with the lemon juice to keep it pale; drain for 10 minutes, then chop it finely.
- 5Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes without colouring, then whisk in the warm milk a little at a time to a smooth, thick sauce.
- 6Add the aubergine and keep whisking for 5 minutes, then stir in the cheese and the remaining salt until smooth and creamy.
- 7Spread the aubergine cream on warm plates, make a hollow in the middle, spoon in the lamb and its sauce and scatter with the parsley.
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Questions and answers
How long does Hünkar Beğendi (Lamb on Smoky Aubergine Cream) take to make?
About 140 minutes: 30 min prep and 110 min cooking.
What ingredients do you need for Hünkar Beğendi (Lamb on Smoky Aubergine Cream)?
18 ingredients: boneless lamb shoulder, olive oil, onion, garlic cloves, long green peppers, tomato paste, tomatoes, dried thyme, salt, black pepper, hot water, aubergines and 6 more.
How many servings does this Hünkar Beğendi (Lamb on Smoky Aubergine Cream) recipe make?
4 servings. The servings buttons above the ingredients rescale every amount.
How many calories are in a serving of Hünkar Beğendi (Lamb on Smoky Aubergine Cream)?
About 972 kcal, with 59.6 g protein, 41.7 g carbohydrate and 64.1 g fat. This is an estimate from the ingredients, not a lab analysis.
What cuisine is Hünkar Beğendi (Lamb on Smoky Aubergine Cream)?
Hünkar Beğendi (Lamb on Smoky Aubergine Cream) comes from Turkish cuisine.
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