Ali Nazik (Lamb on Smoky Eggplant Yogurt)
علی نازک (دھوئیں والے بینگن کے دہی پر گوشت)
Ali nazik starts exactly like a baingan bharta: whole eggplants are charred directly over a gas flame until the skin blackens and the flesh turns soft and smoky. But instead of a masala, the flesh is mashed into cool, garlicky yogurt and spread on a plate, then topped with hot pieces of lamb fried in butter with tomato and . Warm meat on smoky, tangy yogurt is a wonderful combination, and it's surprisingly easy.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 5 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 45 min
- Medium
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Prick the eggplants and char them directly over a gas flame or on a for 12–15 minutes, turning, until black all over and completely soft.
Cover for 10 minutes to steam, then peel off the skin and drain the flesh in a sieve for 10 minutes. Chop it finely and mix with the yogurt, garlic and salt.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a and fry the lamb on high heat for 5 minutes until browned. Add the onion and peppers and cook for 4 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, paste, pul biber, salt and hot water. Cover and simmer on low heat for 25–30 minutes until the lamb is tender and the sauce is thick.
Spread the eggplant yogurt on a warm plate, spoon the lamb into the middle, and drizzle with the remaining butter, melted until sizzling. Scatter with parsley and serve with bread.
Kitchen notes
Charring over an open flame is what gives the smoky flavour. An oven grill works, but the taste is milder.
Drain the eggplant well, or the yogurt turns watery.
Use room-temperature yogurt so the hot lamb doesn't make it split.
A Gaziantep classic
Gaziantep, in south-east Turkey, is famous for its cooking, and ali nazik is one of its best-known dishes. The name is often said to come from an Ottoman story about a sultan, though nobody knows for sure. What’s certain is that it’s built on the same smoky eggplant every Pakistani cook knows from bharta.
Three parts
Smoky eggplant. Charred whole over a flame, peeled and drained. The smoke flavour goes all through the flesh.
Garlic yogurt. The chopped eggplant is mixed into thick yogurt with garlic and salt. It should be cool and creamy, not runny.
Butter lamb. Small cubes of lamb are browned in butter, then simmered with tomato, pepper paste and until tender and coated in a thick sauce.
Serving
Spread the yogurt on a warm plate, pile the meat in the middle, and pour sizzling butter over the top. Serve with bread, bulgur pilavı and a çoban salatası.
Questions people ask
Can I use chicken?
Yes. Small pieces of boneless chicken thigh cook in about 15 minutes in the sauce.
Can I make the eggplant ahead?
Yes. The eggplant yogurt keeps for a day in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
Is it like baingan bharta?
The eggplant is prepared the same way, but bharta is cooked into a spiced masala, while here it's mixed with cool garlic yogurt.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 420
- Protein
- 26 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
