Description
Ali Nazik Kebab is a Turkish favourite that marries a tender lamb stew with a smoked eggplant puree and garlicky yoghurt mixture. And then drizzles a spiced, melted, butter all over it. This delicious main course from Gaziantep in Southern Turkey is a lamb dish you’ve got to try!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Lamb
- 500g lamb chunks/cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 leave of Daphne (Bay leaf)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 tablespoon powdered red pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon powdered hot pepper
- 3 coloured peppers
Eggplant & Yoghurt Mixture
- 2 bell eggplants or 3 eggplants
- 2 tablespoons labneh
- 3 tablespoons yoghurt
- salt
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed and peeled
Spiced Butter
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 tablespoon red pepper
Instructions
Roasting the eggplants
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Pierce the eggplants with a knife and place on a baking tray. Bake on the grill setting of the oven for 20-25 minutes turning occasionally.
- Cut the roasted eggplants in half. Separate the seeds and shells (you can discard these bits, bestie) from the fleshy insides. If there is juice remaining, you’ll want to drain it using a colander. Set aside.
Cooking the lamb
- Place your frying pot over a medium-high heat, once hot, pour in the olive oil, and add the lamb chunks. Once the lamb begins to release its juices, add the leave of Daphne and place a lid over the pan. Bring the heat down to low, about 5 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper and tomato paste. Stir and cook, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the spices and peppers and cook them for another 2-3 minutes, and your lamb should be ready!
Preparing the Spiced Butter
Mix the melted butter and ground red pepper. Easy peasy.
Assembling Ali Nazik Kebab
- Place the eggplant insides in a large bowl, and mix together with the labneh, yoghurt, salt, and crushed garlic.
- To serve: First, spread the yoghurt-eggplant mixture on to a serving plate and then add the cooked lamb on top. Drizzle with the spiced butter to take your flavour-receptors to the moon.
Notes
- If you’re wondering what a leaf of Daphne is – it’s another way of saying Bay leaf. It was the name someone I spoke to in Turkey used, and I thought it sounded beautiful, so I used it here too.
- To get the most authentic flavour, you’re looking for smokiness in your eggplants – the easiest way to do this is roasting them over a coal fire or using your gas burner. I don’t have a coal fire or a gas burner at home. So, I roast them in the oven!
- To help drain the eggplants of their juice, you can gently squeeze them. Wear a glove though, otherwise it will be a hot and unpleasant experience.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Turkish
