5 from 12 votes
Turkish lamb stew with eggplant, Hünkar beğendi
Turkish lamb stew with eggplant, Hünkar beğendi, combines tender lamb simmered with tomatoes, herbs, onions, and peppers, served with a creamy eggplant béchamel sauce. The lamb is browned and then slowly cooked to soften, while the eggplant is prepared separately to create a rich, cheesy base. The dish balances savory meat and smooth, cheesy eggplant, showcasing both textures. It’s a traditional recipe that pairs lamb’s robust flavor with a luscious vegetable sauce.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 45 mins
Servings:
4
-6
Calories:
518 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Turkish
Ingredients
For the lamb stew:
- 1 ½ lb leg of lamb diced in roughly bite-sized pieces (trimmed, boneless weight)
- ¼ teaspoon salt approx
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper approx
- 1 onion large, or 2 medium
- ½ green pepper or 1 whole if small
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups tomato recommend chopped fresh tomatoes, around 3, or if using canned, use crushed or finely chopped, chopped
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup stock eg chicken/vegetable, or use water, light
For eggplant-bechamel sauce:
- 3 lb eggplant aubergine, approx 3 med-large
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoon flour
- 1 ¼ cups milk approx, ideally warmed
- 1 ½ oz Parmesan Cheese or cheddar or a blend of both, grated
Instructions
To make lamb stew:
- Season the pieces of lamb with salt and pepper. Dice the onion relatively finely and dice the pepper. Finely chop the garlic.
- Warm the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for around 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the lamb and brown on all sides then add the green pepper and garlic. Stir and cook a couple more minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, thyme, oregano and tomato paste to the pot. Stir through to mix and cook a minute then add the stock/water. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover with a lid then reduce the heat so that the sauce is gently simmering. Leave to cook for around 1 hour so that the lamb is tender. You may want to have the lid only half-on for part of this time to help it reduce a little.
Cup of Yum
To make eggplant-bechamel sauce:
- Meanwhile, cook the eggplant. If possible, cook the eggplant on a grill/BBQ or sitting over a gas burner (you may want to cover around the burner with foil to catch any drips. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 430F/220C, prick the eggplant all over with a knife and place it on a baking sheet or in a baking dish. Roast for around 40 minutes. In all cases, you are looking for the inside of the eggplant to become very soft and if over grill/flame the skin should be well charred. Once cooked, leave the eggplant to cool down so that it is safe to handle when opened up.
- Once cooled, cut open the eggplant skin and scoop out the flesh. Either roughly chop and mash the flesh for a coarser texture, or blend up for a smoother paste. In both cases, once roughly chopped, try to drain off as much liquid as you can as this can make it more sour. If you want a really smooth puree, you can press the mixture through a fine strainer to remove the seeds.
- Melt the butter in a medium-small saucepan over a medium heat then once melted, add the flour. Stir as it cooks a couple minutes and becomes gently nutty smelling.
- Gradually add the milk and stir or whisk in after each addition to make a smooth paste. Cook a minute or two more, as needed, to thicken slightly.
- Remove from the heat then add the cheese and stir through so that it mixes in and melts. Add the eggplant puree and stir to mix through evenly. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, either spread some of the eggplant sauce over the bottom of individual plates or all of it on the bottom of a serving platter. In both cases, spread it out with a slight shallow area in the middle to hold the stew. Add the lamb stew in the middle of the eggplant sauce and serve with bread on the side.
Nutrition Information
Calories
518kcal
(26%)
Carbohydrates
37g
(12%)
Protein
35g
(70%)
Fat
27g
(42%)
Saturated Fat
12g
(60%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
(12%)
Monounsaturated Fat
11g
(55%)
Trans Fat
1g
(50%)
Cholesterol
108mg
(36%)
Sodium
544mg
(23%)
Potassium
1564mg
(33%)
Fiber
13g
(52%)
Sugar
20g
(40%)
Vitamin A
1312IU
(26%)
Vitamin C
33mg
(37%)
Calcium
281mg
(28%)
Iron
4mg
(22%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 -6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 518
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 518kcal | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 37g | 12% |
| Protein | 35g | 70% |
| Fat | 27g | 42% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 108mg | 36% |
| Sodium | 544mg | 23% |
| Potassium | 1564mg | 33% |
| Fiber | 13g | 52% |
| Sugar | 20g | 40% |
| Vitamin A | 1312IU | 26% |
| Vitamin C | 33mg | 37% |
| Calcium | 281mg | 28% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.