Hünkar Beğendi Recipe
Hünkar Beğendi - “Sultan’s Delight” 
Turkish Lamb Stew Over Eggplant Purée
Submitted By: Taz

Ingredients:

Lamb Stew:
1 lb Leg of Lamb (Kuzu Bacağı) - trimmed and cut into ¼-½ inch ‘cubes’
1 Tbs All Purpose Flour (Un)
1 tsp Sweet Paprika (Tatlı Kırmızı Biber)
2 Tbs Unsalted Butter (Tereyağı)
1 Large Onion (Soğan) - sliced thin
3 cloves Fresh Garlic (Sarımsak) – smashed
1 Tbs Tomato Paste (Salça)
3 Large Tomatoes (Domates) - chopped
1 tsp Dried Thyme (Kuru Kekik)
1 tsp Dried Oregano (Kuru Kekik)
Kosher Salt (Tuz) to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper (Karabiber) to taste

Beğendi:
3 Medium Eggplants (Patlıcan)
3 Tbs Unsalted Butter (Tereyağı)
3 Tbs All Purpose Flour (Un)
2 Cups Whole Milk (Süt)
¼ Cup Parmigiano-Reggiano* - grated
¼ Cup Sharp White Cheddar Cheese* - grated

Preparation:
  1. Roast your eggplants:
  2. In the oven: Preheat oven to 450°F - Using a sharp knife, prick your eggplants all over and place on a baking tray - Place in the center of the oven and allow to cook until soft to the touch (apx 15-20 minutes) - Remove from oven and allow to cool until easily handled - Cut a slit along the length of each eggplant and, with a spoon, scrape out the pulp discarding the skin and as many seeds as possible - Roughly chop the pulp and set aside until needed
  3. Open flame: Roast the eggplants on a vented trivet directly over a gas flame or on a grill turning regularly until the skin is charred and eggplant is soft to the touch (apx 15-20 minutes) – Allow to cool until easily handled - Cut a slit along the length of each eggplant and, with a spoon, scrape out the pulp discarding the skin and as many seeds as possible - Roughly chop the pulp and set aside until needed
  4. Make the lamb stew: Place your lamb ‘cubes’ in a large bowl and add the paprika - Toss to thoroughly distribute - Season with salt and pepper to taste - Add the flour and toss to coat
  5. Melt butter in a large saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering - Add the lamb and ‘stir fry’ until nicely browned (apx 5-7 minutes)
  6. Reduce heat to medium and add the onion - Allow to cook (stirring frequently) until just softened (apx 2-3 minutes) - Add the garlic - Continue to cook for an additional minute
  7. Add the tomato paste and thoroughly combine - Add the tomatoes and thyme and thoroughly combine
  8. Add 1 cup of hot water and bring to a boil - As soon as a boil is reached, reduce to a simmer
  9. Cover and allow to simmer (stirring occasionally) for 1 hour until the lamb is super tender and the sauce is thickened - NOTE: add as little additional water if necessary to avoid sticking and scorching if needed - Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if necessary
  10. Make the Beğendi: Using a potato masher (or transfer to a small food processor or blender) mash or blend your eggplant pulp to a smooth purée - Set aside until needed
  11. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat until shimmering
  12. While constantly whisking, slowly add the flour - Once all of the flour has been added, continue to whisk for 30 seconds (you should have a relatively ‘solid’ mass)
  13. While constantly whisking, slowly add the milk a little at a time until fully incorporated - Continue to whisk until thick and smooth (apx 2-3 minutes)
  14. Remove from heat and add the cheeses a handful at a time fully incorporating and allowing to fully melt before adding the next handful - Once all of the cheeses have been added and melted, add the eggplant purée and thoroughly combine - Season with salt and pepper to taste
  15. Assemble the dish: Spread the beğendi on a serving platter or individual serving plates and make a ‘well’ in the center – Spoon the stew into the center making sure to drizzle a bit of the sauce over the beğendi - Garnish with a bit of chopped fresh parsley if desired and serve hot along with come lavash or bazlama (Turkish flatbread), cacık (Turkish yogurt sauce), or as part of a larger Turkish meal
* Traditionally, Tulum cheese would be used for this dish which is a goat’s milk cheese aged in a
   goatskin casing for 6 months or more which gives it a unique sour, salty, seriously sharp flavor. IF
   you can find it, give it a try but for those that cannot get some Tulum for themselves, the 50/50 mix of
   parmigiano-reggiano and sharp white cheddar are delicious and give a decent approximation of the
  traditional flavor

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