Hunkar Begendi

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 lbs lamb, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 lb tomato, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 lb eggplant
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups hot milk
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup kasseri cheese, grated

Recipe

• 1 stew: fry the onion in the oil till soft. add meat and brown. add garlic and cook for a few seconds longer.
• 2 add tomatoes, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.
• 3 add water to cover and simmer with the lid on for about 1 or 1 1/2 hours, till meat is very tender.
• 4 if necessary, add more water or let the sauce reduce a bit to get a good saucy consistency.
• 5 eggplant sauce: prick eggplants all over and roast in a very hot oven (500 degrees or as hot as your oven goes) for 30 minutes, until eggplants soften and skin chars. cool and peel carefully.
• 6 put lemon juice in a bowl of water and put peelec eggplants in acidified water to keep them .
• 7 melt butter in saucepan, add flour and stiur over very low heat for 2 minutes or until well-blended. remove from the heat and add milk gradually, beating vigorously. season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. cook ove rlow heat for 15 minutes, until sauce thickens.
• 8 drain the eggplants in a colander and squeeze out as much water and juice as possible. chop in the colander and mash with a fork (i think this step is meant to allow additional drainage).
• 9 mix with the milk sauce until well blended. return to the heat, add grated cheese, stir until melted and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
• 10 serve the stew with the eggplant cream in a ring around it. serve with rice.