Best Kurdish Lamb Eggplant Stew With Sumac Meftuna Bacanan Recipes

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS & EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/2 -inch-wide slices, then crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces; set aside. Rub lamb shanks with 1 tablespoon sumac, salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven (or other 5- to 6-quart pot) over medium-high heat. Add the lamb; cook, turning often, until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes total. (Don't overcrowd the pan; brown in batches if necessary.) Transfer to a plate.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot; add bell pepper, onion, 2 minced garlic cloves and the remaining 1 tablespoon sumac. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are beginning to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Return the lamb to the pot. Stir in the eggplant, tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally and turning the shanks over once about halfway through, until the lamb is very tender, about 2 hours.
• Remove the lamb to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Increase heat to medium-high and cook the sauce until slightly reduced and thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup parsley.
• Combine the remaining 1/4 cup parsley and the remaining garlic in a small bowl.
• Serve the lamb and vegetable sauce topped with the parsley-garlic mixture.

EGGPLANT AND LAMB STEW

Steps:

• In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat, and brown the lamb on all sides. Mix in the eggplants, tomatoes, onions, green bell peppers, and garlic. Cook and stir until tender and lightly browned.
• In a small bowl, blend the tomato paste and water. Mix into the pot with the lamb. Season lamb with allspice, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat shreds easily with a fork. Add a little water as necessary to keep the ingredients moist.

LAMB STEW WITH EGGPLANT SAUCE

Steps:

• For the stew, fry the onion in the oil until soft. Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes, add them to the pan, and cook, turning to brown lightly all over. Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover with water and simmer, with the lid on, for 1 hour, until the meat is very tender, adding water if it becomes dry, but letting the sauce reduce at the end.
• For the eggplant sauce, prick the eggplants with a pointed knife to prevent them from bursting in the oven. Place them on a large piece of foil on a baking sheet and roast them in a hot oven preheated to 475°F for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until they feel very soft when you press them and the skins are wrinkled. When cool enough to handle, peel and drop them into a strainer or colander with small holes. Press out as much of the water and juices as possible. Still in the colander, chop the flesh with a pointed knife, then mash it into a purée with a fork or wooden spoon, letting the juices escape through the holes.
• Make a béchamel sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, and stir over low heat for about 2 minutes, until it is well blended. Take the pan off the heat and add the milk gradually, beating vigorously all the time to avoid lumps forming. Add salt and nutmeg, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for about 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
• Off the heat, mix the eggplant purée into the béchamel sauce, then return to the heat, beating vigorously until it is well blended. Add the grated cheese and stir until it has melted. Add a little salt if necessary.
• Serve the meat stew in a wide shallow dish with the eggplant sauce in a circle around it.

KURDISH LAMB & EGGPLANT STEW WITH SUMAC (MEFTUNA BACANAN)

Steps:

• Put the sumac in a pot and pour the boiling water over and set aside for at least 15-20 minutes, until the water turns to pink color.
• Season the lamb with 1.5 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. In a heavy pan or a casserole dish, fry the butter and add the lamb cubes. On a high heat, brown them for about 10 minutes, stirring them around every now and then.
• Meanwhile part peel the eggplants in lines diagonally and de-seed the peppers. Cut the eggplants and peppers into big chunks and roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Put all the vegetables together in a bowl, sprinkle over the remaining salt, ground black pepper and chili flakes and mix them all and set aside.
• Add the flour in to the pot with sumac juice in and whisk it well together, ensuring there are not any lumps.
• When the lamb is brown, add in the vegetables and press them down in the pan. Pour over the sumac water (which should just cover the vegetables, add more if needed). Scatter around the chilled butter cubes and put the lid on. On a very low heat (the smallest ring is the best) let it simmer for 1 hour. Try not to lift the lid at all until it is cooked.
• After an hour turn off the heat and let it rest for 15 minutes or so. Serve it with a quarter teaspoon of crushed garlic for each serve. The best is to stir the garlic in, which makes the eggplants melt in the dish!