Ingredients

For the meat stew:

800g lamb or beef (leg or shoulder), cut into 1.5-2 cm cubes; 1/4 cup of olive oil; 1/4 cup of yogurt; 2 tbsp of tomato paste; 1 medium-sized onion; 2 cloves of garlic; 1 tsp of sweet paprika; 1 tsp of cumin; 1/2 tsp of black pepper, salt to taste; and metal skewers of about 30-40cm length.

For the aubergine puree:

4 large aubergines; 1 cup of yogurt; 2 cloves of garlic; salt to taste.

For garnish:

2 tbsp of butter (or olive oil); 1 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation and Cooking

• Marinade Preparation: In a bowl, mix the lamb or beef cubes with olive oil, paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight if possible.
• Meat Preparation: Combine olive oil, yogurt, tomato paste, grated onion, minced garlic, paprika, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the meat cubes until they are thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
• Cooking Meat: Skewer the marinated meat cubes and roast them in a wood-fired oven, similar to the method used for shish kebabs.
• Roasting Aubergines: Prick the washed aubergines with a fork to create multiple holes that allow steam to escape during roasting. Coat them in olive oil and place them on a stainless steel or glass tray. Roast them at 150-200°C for about 30-40 minutes, starting from Area D and gradually moving to Areas C and B, turning once, until the skin is charred and the flesh is tender.
• Aubergine Processing: After roasting, cool the aubergines, slit them longitudinally, and scoop out the flesh using a dough scraper. Mash the flesh, transfer it to a strainer, and drain for 30 minutes to remove any bitter juices. Combine the aubergine flesh with lemon juice until smooth.
• Garnish Preparation: In a small saucepan, melt the butter, add red pepper flakes, and stir for 1-2 minutes to infuse the butter with the pepper flavour.
• Yogurt Mixture Preparation: Mix yogurt with minced garlic in a separate bowl, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Dish Assembly: Combine the aubergine puree and yogurt, and spread it on a serving platter. Remove the cooked meat cubes from the skewers and place them on the aubergine-yogurt mixture, drizzling the red pepper butter on top. This can also be done on individual plates.
• Ali Nazik Kebab is served immediately, ideally with rice or warm flatbread.

Hints and Comments

• Ali Nazik Kebab is a specialty of the Gaziantep region, and sometimes the aubergines are roasted directly over hot embers in a wood-fired oven.
• Unlike Hünkâr Beğendi, which tops smashed roasted aubergine with diced meat and Bechamel sauce, Alinazik places diced or minced meat on top of roasted aubergine with yogurt.

Sliced Urfa or Adana style shish kebabs can also top the yogurt-based puree, creating a variant of Ali Nazik Kebab Sultan’s Delight.