Hunkar Begendi (Sultan's Delight)
Slow-cooked lamb in a rich tomato sauce, spooned over silky smoked aubergine puree with melted kashkaval — Ottoman palace food you can make at home.
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Ingredients
600 g cubed lamb (shoulder or leg)
3 large aubergines (about 900 g)
60 g butter, divided
2 tablespoons plain flour
300 ml warm milk
80 g kashkaval cheese, grated
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 ripe tomatoes, grated or finely diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt and half a teaspoon ground black pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice for the aubergine flesh
250 ml hot water
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil with 20 g of the butter in a heavy casserole and brown the lamb cubes in batches over high heat; set aside.
- 2
Soften the onion in the same pot for 5 minutes, add the garlic, then stir in the tomato paste and fry for 1 minute.
- 3
Return the lamb, add the grated tomatoes, salt, pepper and hot water; cover and simmer gently for 60-75 minutes until the meat is spoon-tender and the sauce is thick and glossy.
- 4
Meanwhile char the aubergines over a gas flame or under a very hot grill, turning, for 15-20 minutes until blackened all over and collapsing; cool slightly, peel, and keep the flesh in lemon water.
- 5
Melt the remaining 40 g butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes until it smells biscuity.
- 6
Squeeze the aubergine flesh dry, chop roughly and beat it into the roux over medium heat, mashing until smooth.
- 7
Add the warm milk gradually, whisking, and cook for 4-5 minutes to a thick, creamy puree; stir in the kashkaval until melted and season to taste.
- 8
Spread the begendi over warm plates, crown with the lamb and its sauce, and serve immediately with pide bread.
Hunkar begendi — literally "the sultan approved" — is one of the great dishes of the Ottoman palace kitchens. Legend ties it to Sultan Abdulaziz and Empress Eugenie of France, whose chefs supposedly traded secrets in the Dolmabahce kitchens. Whatever the truth, the result is timeless: meltingly tender lamb in a glossy tomato sauce, ladled over begendi, a smoky aubergine puree enriched with butter, flour, milk and kashkaval cheese.
The whole dish stands or falls on the aubergines. Char them directly over a gas flame or under a screaming-hot grill until the skins blacken and the flesh collapses — that smoke is the soul of begendi. Keep the peeled flesh in water with a squeeze of lemon so it stays pale, then beat it into the roux while it is still warm.
Bring the pan to the table and serve with warm pide bread and a cold ayran; a simple shepherd's salad on the side cuts the richness beautifully. The lamb, kashkaval, butter and pastes are all a click away at Turkish Online Market, so palace food is well within a weeknight's reach.
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