Hünkar Beğendi

What Is Hünkar Beğendi?

Hunkar Begendi is literally means “the Sultan liked it,” and it’s often referred to in English as Sultan’s Delight. It may sound unusual to name a dish with a sentence, but today it’s such a familiar name that nobody in Turkey even thinks of it that way anymore. It’s simply the dish itself.

According to the story, this dish was first prepared in the Ottoman palace and was so well loved by the sultan that it became known by this name. Today it’s one of the most well-known classic dishes in Turkish cuisine.

This amazing Ottoman dish is a combination of two main elements: a slow-cooked lamb stew and a creamy eggplant purée known as beğendi. The lamb is cooked slowly until tender and full of flavour, while the eggplant base is smooth, slightly smoky, and rich thanks to the béchamel sauce. When served together, they balance each other beautifully.

A Palace Dish, Not as Complicated as It Sounds

Sounds complicated? Not at all. You can easily make Hünkar Beğendi (Sultan's Delight) in your own kitchen. You roast the eggplants, cook the lamb until it’s nice and tender, then make a simple béchamel sauce and mix it with the roasted eggplants.

To serve, you start with the creamy eggplant base and top it with the lamb stew. That’s it! 

About The Ingredients

We like to look at Hünkar Beğendi in two parts: the meat stew and the beğendi (the creamy eggplant base).

For the Meat Stew

• Lamb: Traditionally used for this dish, as lamb is considered a more special meat in Turkish cuisine. We love using lamb here, but you can also use beef if you prefer.
• Onion & garlic: They form the flavour base of the stew.
• Tomatoes: Used to create a rich, comforting sauce. We prefer fresh tomatoes, but you can also use passata or canned tomatoes.
• Tomato paste: This is known as domates salcasi in Turkish cuisine and it is great for a richer flavor. 
• Spices (salt, black pepper, oregano or thyme): Oregano and thyme are used for the same purpose in Turkish cooking and even share the same name, kekik, so either one works perfectly.

For the Beğendi (Bechamel Sauce with Eggplants)

• Butter: Essential for the rich, comforting taste of the purée.
• All-purpose (plain) flour: Used to make the béchamel base.
• Milk: We prefer whole milk for a creamier texture.
• Eggplants (Aubergines): Try to choose ones with little or no seeds. If you’re in Turkey, kemer patlıcan works very well; bostan patlıcan usually has more seeds.
• Nutmeg (optional): Not traditional, but we love the flavour it adds.

You’ll find the full list of ingredients with exact measurements in the recipe card below.

How to Make Hunkar Begendi

If you follow this order, the process becomes much easier. Start with the eggplants, then move on to the meat.

First, roast the eggplants in a preheated oven until they’re soft and fully cooked. If you have the option, you can also roast them over an open flame or on a grill for a deeper smoky flavour, but we usually use the oven as it’s cleaner and more practical. While the eggplants are roasting, you can start cooking the meat.

Heat a pan with a little butter and brown the lamb on all sides over medium-high heat. Don’t overcrowd the pan! If needed, work in batches. The meat should sit in a single layer, covering the bottom of the pan, so it browns nicely instead of releasing its juices. Once the lamb is nicely sealed, add the onion and garlic, followed by the tomatoes and spices. Pour in enough hot water to just cover the meat, cover the pot, and let it cook gently until the lamb becomes soft and tender.

By the time the lamb is done, the eggplants should be ready. Peel them, chop them very finely, and mash them with a knife until smooth.

To make the beğendi, prepare a simple béchamel sauce with butter, flour, and milk, then stir in the mashed eggplants. Season it, taste, and adjust if needed.

To serve, start with a generous layer of creamy beğendi on the plate and spoon the lamb stew over the top. That’s it.

You’ll find the full step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below.

A Small Tip for Peeling Eggplants Easily

Eggplants usually take around 40 minutes to roast in the oven. Once they’re out, transfer them to a bowl and cover the top with a pot lid or cling film. Let them sit for 5–10 minutes. The steam helps loosen the skins, making the eggplants much easier to peel.

Serving Suggestions

Hünkar Beğendi is quite rich on its own, so we like to serve it with something simple on the side.

• Pilav – This is our go-to. We love it with Turkish rice with chickpeas (nohutlu pilav) or rice with orzo (şehriyeli pirinç pilavı), but bulgur pilavı also works really well.
• Bread – If you’re skipping pilav, any good bread will do. That said, if you have access to it (or can make it at home), Ramazan pidesi is our favourite here.
• A fresh salad – A simple lettuce salad (mevsim salatası) with lemon and olive oil is more than enough.

If we’re serving this for a slightly more special meal, we sometimes add a bowl of plain yogurt or cacık on the side as well. It’s not essential, but it’s always a nice touch.

Storing & Reheating

If you have leftovers, store the lamb stew and the beğendi separately in airtight containers in the fridge. They’ll keep well for up to 2–3 days.

When reheating, warm the lamb stew gently on the stove over low heat, adding a small splash of water if needed. Reheat the beğendi separately, also over low heat, stirring often so it doesn’t stick. If it thickens too much, a little milk will help bring it back to a creamy texture.

If you end up with leftover beğendi but no stew, don’t worry — it’s still delicious. Store it properly and reheat it the next day to serve as a warm dip or appetizer with bread. And if you have lamb stew left but no beğendi, simply serve it the next day with some rice for an easy and satisfying meal.

We don’t recommend freezing the beğendi, as the texture can change once thawed. The lamb stew, however, freezes well if you want to save it for another time.

Can I Make It Ahead?

Yes, you can definitely plan ahead with Hünkar Beğendi. If you want to spread the work, you can roast the eggplants a day in advance, peel them, chop them finely, and keep them in the fridge. The lamb stew can also be made one or even two days ahead and stored in the fridge.

On the day you plan to serve, simply prepare the beğendi fresh by making the béchamel sauce and stirring in the roasted eggplants. Reheat the lamb stew gently on the stove, and then serve the two together.

This way, most of the work is already done, and you can enjoy a relaxed cooking day while still serving Hunkar Begendi at its best.

Are You a Cheese Fan? Add Some!

Are you one of those people who likes adding cheese to almost everything? Then you’ll be happy to know that beğendi (the béchamel sauce with eggplants) can be made with cheese as well.

There isn’t a clear rule saying cheese must be used in the traditional version, and we personally prefer it without cheese, so we usually skip it. That said, many people in Turkey do add cheese to their beğendi, and it’s a very common variation.

If you’d like to add cheese, do it right after stirring the roasted eggplants into the béchamel sauce. Add the cheese, stir until it melts, then take it off the heat. 

In Turkey, kaşar peyniri is the most commonly used cheese for this. If you can’t find it, mild cheddar or mozzarella work well as substitutes.

Feel Free to Change the Topping

These days in Turkey, you’ll often see different versions of Hünkar Beğendi made at home. The beğendi part usually stays the same, but the topping can change depending on what’s available.

Some people use beef instead of lamb, others go for chicken, and you’ll also see versions made with ground meat or even meatballs.

We have to say, though, our favourite will always be the traditional version made with lamb.

If you like the idea of the creamy eggplant base but want to switch up the meat, feel free to do so.

More Classic Turkish Lamb Dishes

• Kuzu Tandir (Turkish Roasted Lamb)
• Kuzu Guvec (Turkish Lamb Stew in the Oven)
• Sac Kavurma (Turkish Style Lamb Saute)

You Might Also Like