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Hünkar beğendi, lamb on eggplant purée

Hünkar beğendi, lamb on eggplant purée

Main dishes

Slow-cooked meat with onions and tomatoes, served over a creamy eggplant purée with a cheese béchamel: a classic Turkish dish.

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Recipe from Araz Yaquboglu, Turkmen, adapted by Recette de cuisine · · updated on

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The hünkar beğendi, “the sultan’s favorite,” is a dish consisting of slow-cooked meat served over a creamy purée of grilled eggplant, bound with béchamel sauce and grated cheese. It’s a festive and comforting dish from Turkish cuisine.

Ingredients and directions

  • Prep time30 min
  • Cook time1 hr
  • Total1 hr 30 min
  • DifficultyMedium
  • CostModerate
  • Calories546 kcal/serving
  • Cooking methodMijotage
  • Estimated cost$33.10 $5.52 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 15, 2026.

Ingredients

6 people
  • $20.14
  • $0.72
  • $0.74
  • $0.10
  • $0.41
  • $7.00
  • $3.35
  • $0.32
  • $0.04
  • $0.28

Prices from US supermarkets for 7 of 10 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.

Directions

  1. Grill the eggplants over the flame.
  2. Remove the skin. ≈ 3 min
  3. Let them sit in a mixture of lemon-infused water with added flour (1 tablespoon). ≈ 3 min
  4. Cook the meat over low heat.
  5. Add the oil. ≈ 3 min
  6. Make the dish brown using onions and tomatoes.
  7. Prepare the béchamel sauce: heat 3 tablespoons of flour in 2 tablespoons of oil until it turns golden brown.
  8. Gradually pour in the 75 cl of milk. ≈ 3 min
  9. Using a fork, crush the eggplant that remains in the water. ≈ 4 min
  10. Add them to the béchamel sauce. ≈ 3 min
  11. Add the grated cheese. ≈ 3 min
  12. Stir while cooking.
  13. Place the meat on top of the mashed potatoes and serve. ≈ 2 min

The bill

Hünkar beğendi, lamb on eggplant purée

  • 1 kg of lamb, cut into small pieces$20.14
  • 100 g of grated cheese$0.72
  • 75 cl of milk$0.74
  • 4 tablespoons of flour$0.10
  • 2 onions$0.41
  • 4 eggplants$7.00
  • 2 tomatoes$3.35
  • 5 tablespoons of oil$0.32
  • salt$0.04
  • 1 lemon$0.28

Total$33.10

that's $5.52 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Equipment

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Nutrition per serving

Calories546 kcal
Fat27.5 g
Saturated fat9.1 g
Carbohydrates24.6 g
Sugars15.3 g
Fiber7.4 g
Protein46 g
Salt0.48 g

Before you start

Ingredients

  • 1 kg of lamb, cut into small pieces
  • 100 g of grated cheese
  • 75 cl of milk
  • 4 tablespoons of flour
  • 2 onions
  • 4 eggplants
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 5 tablespoons of oil
  • salt
  • 1 lemon

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