Hünkar Beğendi

Medium·25 min

An iconic Ottoman-palace dish: tender braised lamb in a tomato sauce ladled over a silky purée of smoked eggplant enriched with béchamel and cheese. The pairing of rustic meat stew and refined creamy purée defines old Istanbul fine dining.

A signature dish of Ottoman court cuisine, popularly said to have been served during Empress Eugénie of France's 19th-century visit to Sultan Abdülaziz, who so approved of it that it took his name; the name means 'the sultan liked it'.

The first forkful is pure contrast: smoky, creamy eggplant melting against deeply savoury lamb. The béchamel and cheese turn the purée luxurious without hiding the charred edge of the eggplant, while the tomato-rich meat sauce soaks in around it.

Charring the eggplant over open flame drives off moisture and creates smoky phenols, while the béchamel's roux emulsifies the watery flesh into a stable, glossy purée. Long braising breaks down lamb collagen into gelatin for a tender, sauce-coating texture.

Variations

Chicken instead of lamb; veal cubes; some add nutmeg to the béchamel; meatless version of just beğendi purée as a side.

On the Palate

Where Hünkar Beğendi sits in the Turkish flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 4

How it's made

8 steps · 25 min

1
10 min
Cut lamb shoulder into cubes and brown well in butter with chopped onion.
Watch out
Brown the lamb hard in batches before adding liquid — a deep crust is where the braise gets its depth.
2
60 min
Add tomato paste, diced tomato, salt and pepper; cover and braise with a little water until the lamb is fork-tender.
3
15 min
Char whole eggplants directly over a flame until the skins blister and the flesh collapses.
Watch out
Char the eggplant right over the flame until the skin's black and blistered and the flesh goes limp — that's the smoke.
4
8 min
Scoop out the smoky flesh, mash with lemon juice to keep it pale.
5
8 min
Make a roux with butter and flour, whisk in warm milk to a smooth béchamel.
Watch out
Whisk the warm milk into the roux off the boil so it turns silky smooth with no lumps before you add the eggplant.
6
12 min
Fold the eggplant flesh into the béchamel with grated kashkaval cheese and salt; cook until thick and glossy.
Watch out
Cook the purée until it's thick and glossy and pulls from the pan side — runny and it won't hold the well of lamb.
7
4 min
Spoon the warm eggplant purée onto plates and hollow the centre.
8
3 min
Pile the braised lamb and its sauce into the well and serve hot.