The flavour of beğendi comes from charred aubergine; made with oven-baked aubergine it is just béchamel with aubergine in it. Charring over a flame until the skin blackens is essential. The second rule: hold the charred flesh in acidulated water, or the purée comes out grey.
Ingredients
For the meat filling
For the beğendi purée
Method
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Cook the meat
Fry the diced lamb in butter for 12 minutes, add the onion for 5, then the tomato paste, tomato and pepper for 5. Add the hot water and cook covered for 45 minutes until the meat is tender.
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Char the aubergines
Turn them over a flame or in a 240 degree oven until the skins blacken.
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Peel and soak
Peel them and hold the flesh in acidulated water for 10 minutes, then squeeze and drain thoroughly.
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Make the béchamel
Cook the flour in butter for 3 minutes, whisk in the warm milk a little at a time and cook until thickened.
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Add the aubergine
Add the drained aubergine and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the cheese and salt and let it melt.
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Serve
Spread the purée on the plate and put the meat in the middle.
Tips
- Char the aubergine over a flame rather than in the oven; the smoky taste is the identity of beğendi.
- Skip the acidulated water and the purée comes out grey; the taste does not change but the look does.
- Squeeze the aubergine hard; water left in it makes the béchamel runny and it will not recover.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.