Turkish Ali Nazik (Smoked Eggplant & Lamb)
Succulent lamb or veal tops a smokey and creamy eggplant yogurt dip. Scoop with your favourite flatbread to get all the flavours in one bite!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 eggplants (medium)
- 1 cup strained yogurt (or greek yogurt/labneh)
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large clove garlic (crushed (more per preference))
- 450 grams boneless lamb or veal (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon aleppo pepper
- 1/2 large red bell pepper (diced)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon red pepper paste
- A few tablespoons of water
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 450F.
- 2
Wash the eggplant and dry it. Then, use a knife to pierce it 4-5 times all around.
- 3
If you are using a gas stove to roast the eggplant, use tongs to hold each eggplant and place it on the open flame, rotating continuously on all sides until you achieve a dark char on the outside of the skin. Repeat with all the eggplant, then set aside to cool before you peel.
- 4
If you are using the oven to roast the eggplant, start by placing a large cast iron skillet over medium heat on your stove. Using a cast iron skillet to char the eggplant first gives a deeper, and slightly smokey flavour. However, you can skip this step and roast right away.
- 5
Place all the eggplants on the skillet and char each side for 5-7 minutes, rotating.
- 6
Once each side has been charred, place on a foil lined sheet pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until it is soft and easily pricked with a fork. Set aside to cool.
- 7
Meanwhile, strain the yogurt using a cheese cloth set over a mesh sieve and bowl. Strain for about 20 minutes to achieve a thicker consistency. You can also use labneh or thick greek yogurt instead, without straining.
- 8
Tip: While the yogurt is straining and the eggplant is roasting, work on the lamb.
- 9
Split open the cooled eggplant and scoop out the flesh into a mesh sieve set over a bowl to drain out the extra moisture. Press the eggplant flesh down and the juices will release. Discard the juices.
- 10
Place the drained eggplant onto a cutting board and chop finely using a knife.
- 11
Place the eggplant into a bowl with the strained yogurt, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic. Mix well and set aside.
- 12
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the lamb pieces along with the salt, paprika and Aleppo pepper. Brown the meat on each side for 5-7 minutes.
- 13
Add the diced red bell pepper, the tomato paste and the red pepper paste. Continue to cook for a few minutes.
- 14
Add a few tablespoons of water to the skillet, then cover, lower the heat and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes until the lamb is very tender. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- 15
To assemble, spread the eggplant mixture on a platter, top with the lamb mixture and garnish with parsley. Serve with your favourite bread or flatbread.