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Hunkar Begendi (Sultan's Delight)
Tender lamb stew served over smoky eggplant puree enriched with butter, milk, and cheese.
Prep
30 min
Cook
95 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Hard
4.8
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Tender lamb stew served over smoky eggplant puree enriched with butter, milk, and cheese.
Hunkar begendi means 'the sultan liked it', and the dish earns the name through contrast: a tomato-rich lamb stew spooned over a satin-smooth eggplant bechamel. The eggplants must be charred until their skins blacken, because smoke is what keeps the rich puree from tasting dull. Their flesh is then folded into a light roux with milk and a little cheese until it becomes spoonable and glossy. The lamb is cooked separately with onion, tomato, and pepper paste until tender. When combined, the smoky base and savory stew create one of the most elegant plates in Turkish cuisine.
Serves 4
Season lamb and brown in batches until deeply colored. Remove to a plate.
Cook onion in the same pot until soft. Add tomato paste and pepper paste, fry 2 minutes, then add tomatoes and lamb.
Add enough water to barely cover. Simmer 75 to 90 minutes until the lamb is tender and the sauce is glossy.
Char eggplants over a gas flame, grill, or hot broiler until skins are black and flesh collapses. Cover 10 minutes, peel, and chop the smoky flesh.
Real charring matters; roasted but uncharred eggplant will taste much flatter.
Melt butter, stir in flour, and cook 1 minute. Whisk in warm milk to make a light sauce. Fold in eggplant, cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Spread eggplant puree on plates and spoon lamb stew over the center. Finish with parsley if desired.
Use lamb shoulder or neck, not lean leg, because collagen gives the stew body.
Peel charred eggplants while warm; the skins release more easily.
Keep the begendi loose and creamy. It thickens as it sits.
A little cheese is enough; too much overwhelms the eggplant smoke.
Use beef chuck if lamb is unavailable, increasing simmer time as needed.
Make a chicken version with boneless thighs for a lighter plate.
Add roasted green peppers to the stew for a sharper Anatolian note.
Store lamb stew and eggplant puree separately for up to 3 days. Reheat the puree gently with a splash of milk.
Hunkar begendi is associated with Ottoman palace cooking and 19th-century Istanbul, where French-style sauces met local eggplant techniques. The dish remains a restaurant classic because it feels both homey and ceremonial.
Yes, but reheat slowly with milk and stir constantly so it returns to a smooth texture.
Turkish kashar is traditional. Low-moisture mozzarella or mild cheddar can work in small amounts.
Yes, but broil them hard until the skins blister and blacken to capture some smoky flavor.
Per serving (480g / 16.9 oz) · 4 servings total
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