Ingredients
- Serves four
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1kg leg of lamb, diced into 4cm pieces
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 green peppers, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp tomato puree
- 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 3 large beef tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 200ml chicken stock
- A good handful of parsley, roughly chopped
- Natural yoghurt, to serve
- For the aubergine:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 aubergines, sliced in half lengthways
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2 tsp dried coriander
- 4-5 tbsp pomegranate syrup
- Sea salt and ground black pepper
This Turkish lamb stew borrows from the traditional recipe for hünkar begendi or Sultan’s delight which is served with a silky aubergine puree. I’ve swapped the puree for spiced sticky roast aubergines, which are wonderful in this dish but can also be eaten as a vegetarian option, with a warm rice or bulghur wheat salad. Add the oil to a casserole over a high heat and brown the lamb pieces in batches, before setting aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
Pour a drop more oil to the pan if it needs it. Fry the onion and peppers for six minutes, or until just tender. Add tomato puree, garlic cloves, tomatoes, oregano and cayenne pepper and stir through. Pour in the stock and bring to a steady simmer. Return the lamb to the pan, season and bring to the boil, cooking covered with a lid on for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the lamb is tender. Remove from the heat and stir through half the parsley.
While the lamb cooks, preheat the oven to 200 degrees/gas 6. Score the flesh of the aubergines with a sharp knife to create a diamond pattern. Drizzle generously with olive oil and rub with cumin and coriander until completely coated.
Place in the oven for 35 minutes, or until the flesh is just tender but still holds its shape.Brush generously with the pomegranate syrup on all sides. Place back in the oven to cook for 5-10 minutes until caramelized and sticky.
Serve the lamb with the aubergine, a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkle of parsley.
