One of our favorite Gaziantep specialties is the Alinazik or Ali Nazik kebab. A soft lamb stew is served on top of a puree of char-grilled, smoked eggplant combined with yoghurt. Together with rice pilaf and grilled vegetables, we serve Ali Nazik. A delicious dish to share, it truly is a feast for the senses.

What Is Ali Nazik Kebab?

If you can find one, use it to cook; it has an iron base with holes in it. Although it creates a little mess, the smoky flavor of the eggplants makes it worthwhile. The eggplants can be prepared in advance. After mashed, combine with 12 lemon juice to preserve color, and store covered in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

For the pureed eggplant and yogurt:

  • 4 medium eggplants in purple
  • 2 cups of thick, whole milk yogurt, 16 fl. oz. (brand Fage works well)
  • 2 crushed and finely diced garlic cloves
  • 15 ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil
  • To taste, add salt and black pepper.

Topping the meat with:

  • 450gr (1 lb) of diced lamb (or meat of your choice)
  • 1 medium onion, diced finely
  • Red pepper paste or chilli flakes, equal to 1/2 tbsp (optional, if you like a spicy taste)
  • Tomato paste, 1 tablespoon
  • 30 ml/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Water, 30 ml/2 tbsp
  • To taste, add salt and black pepper.
  • Regarding the grilled veggies:
  • one green, yellow, and red bell pepper, deseeded and quartered three medium tomatoes.
  • 1 quartered and thinly sliced onion
  • 30 ml/two tablespoons olive oil
  • To taste, add salt and black pepper.
  • Handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped, to serve

Ali Nazik Kebab Variations

There are dozens of kebab recipes specific to Turkish cuisine and culture. In fact, many of them fall into other varieties of Ali Nazik kebab. Since they are basically meat dishes, the way they are served and the vegetables used differ.

What Are The Tips For Ali Nazik Kebab?

We strongly advise roasting the eggplants over a coal fire or a gas burner to give them a smokey flavor. In Turkey, aubergines are cooked over a burner using a very basic device called a “Kozmatik.” If you can find one, use it to cook; it has a steel base with holes on it. Although it creates a little mess, the smoky flavor of the eggplants makes it worthwhile. The eggplants can be prepared in advance. After mashed, combine with 12 tablespoons of lemon juice to preserve color, and store covered in the refrigerator.

How To Make Ali Nazik Kebab? Step By Step

Prepare the eggplants first. Directly over the stove, on medium heat, roast the eggplants or aubergines for 15 to 20 minutes, turning them once or twice.

Turn the eggplants around with metal tongs to ensure that the skin is nicely charred and that the cooking will be even on all sides. Cook until the flesh is tender and the skin is browned (you can also cook this way over barbeque).

The cooked eggplants should be transferred to a colander to cool. Leave them in the strainer to drain the bitter juices once they have cooled, then peel and discard the burned skin. To remove the most water from the eggplant flesh, we like to lightly squeeze it.

Spread the tomatoes, peppers, and onions in quarters and slices on a baking sheet. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toss to combine. Mix thoroughly after adding salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes in a preheated oven (180 C/350 F).

Cut the lamb into large, generous bite-sized pieces for the stew. In a large, heavy skillet, add 2 tbsp. of olive oil and toss in the diced onions. The onions will begin to soften after 3 minutes of sautéing over medium-high heat.

After adding the onions, add the lamb pieces and stir often for 5 minutes.  The juice from the lamb will come out.

How To Serve Ali Nazik Kebab?

One tablespoon of olive oil should be added to a skillet just before serving, and the eggplant and garlic puree should be heated up gradually. After removing the pan from the heat, thoroughly incorporate the yoghurt with the pureed eggplant.

How To Store The Leftovers?

You can store it in the refrigerator. It is served hot as a main course or cold as an appetizer.

What Eat With Ali Nazik Kebab?

You can substitute a scant 1/2 pound of ground beef for the lamb if you’d like. This recipe also works great with yogurt. Change to tomato paste from red pepper paste.

What Is The Difference Between Ali Nazik And Hünkar Begendi?

The smoky flavor comes from grilling the eggplant until the skin is burned. The béchamel sauce is used to thicken the puréed, spiced, and seasoned eggplant. Thereafter, lamb cubes that have been grilled or sautéed are added to the mixture. Cubed meat is added to cheese sauce and roasted eggplant to make Hünkar Begendi. On the other hand, Ali Nazik is produced by spreading yogurt and chopped or diced meat on roasted eggplant. You can eat both types of kebab at Mama Fatma and decide which one suits your taste.

How Many Calories Is Ali Nazik Kebab?

One dish of Ali Nazik kebab contains 605 calories. Typically speaking, a kabab has between 150 and 500 calories. For instance, a single lamb shish kabab has about 230 calories, a single beef kabab has about 300 calories, and a single chicken kabab has between 160 and 170 calories. It’s critical to keep in mind that these are simply rough estimations, and the real calorie content can vary significantly. Remember that kebabs might come with a variety of toppings and sauces, all of which will increase the calorie count.

How To Roast Eggplant?

Add minced garlic to the diced eggplant flesh and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you want to cook the eggplants a day in advance, then mix the eggplant mash with the juice of 12 lemons to help retain its color and keep it covered in the fridge, covered. Mix everything thoroughly, cover, and set away until the lamb stew is done.

Discover Our Other Kebabs

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İskender Kebab
Shashlik Kebab
Turkish Eggplant Kebab
Tas Kebab
Tomato Kebab
Shis Kebab