Ali Nazik Kebab Recipe (2024)

Ali Nazik Kebab is a Turkish classic that marries a tender lamb stew with a smoked eggplant puree and garlicky yoghurt mixture. And then drizzles a spiced, melted, butter all over it. It’s good. It’s realllllyyyy good!

I won’t lie to you, bestie. I was sceptical the first time I tried this dish. It was in 2019. I was visiting Istanbul by myself, and I had asked a local photographer to show me some great photos spots (spoiler: he did). After we were done, I offered to buy him lunch as a thank you, and we sat down in a small little restaurant in a back-alley of Karakoy district, where he ordered this dish for me.

Now, if you’ve read my About Me page, you’ll know that I loathe eggplants – Aubergine is the name of my greatest enemy. My first instinct was to ask for something else but, I’m a natural people-pleaser. And I didn’t want to seem rude or offend him in any way. After all, this person had been so lovely, and shown me so many great spots. I found myself with no choice but to smile and say, “Sure! That sounds delicious.”

It was not merely delicious.

It. Was. Transcendent.

(So much so that I ended up getting him to ask the restaurant chef to walk me through how to make it. And then, I spoke to the chef at the hotel I was staying at, and asked him to walk me through it. And then, I spoke…you get the picture. I became a little obsessed with it. And if you try it, I expect you will to.)

What is Ali Nazik Kebab?

Ali Nazik Kebab is a Turkish dish consisting of lamb and smoked, pureed eggplant, mixed with yoghurt, originating from Gaziantep. Typically (like in this version), the dish is topped with stewed lamb chunks. Another popular version is topped with minced meat. The dish is also called Ali Nazik tarifi.

Translated literally, nazik means ‘polite’, while ‘Ali’ is a first name. Thus, the literal translation of the dish is “polite Ali.”

Also – once you’re done here, check out my Ali Nazik Kebab video on YouTube!

3 Origins of Alinazik Kebab

There are a few different stories regarding the exact origins of Alinazik. While most accounts are in agreement that the dish originates from Gaziantep, the stories differ when it comes to how it got its name, or who invented it. As to which one is true…well, your guess is as good as mine.

A gentle hand

The most poetic version dates back to the 16^th century when an Ottoman sultan, Yuvaz Sultan Selim, happened to try this dish while visiting Antep (which is now Gaziantap…”gazi-Antep” – make sense, right?). The sultan enjoyed the recipe so much that he asked whose “gentle hand” could make such a dish. The words for gentle hand are “eli nazik”.

Beautiful food

Some believe that the name is the evolution of “ala nazik”, which in Ottoman-era Turkish, means “beautiful food.”

Fussy Ali

This is the version that was told me to while I was visiting Istanbul. By this account, there once was a chef from Gaziantep named Ali Nazik. He enjoyed the many lamb dishes of Southern Turkey, but he wanted to create a dish where he didn’t need to cut any meat – something he could simply eat with a spoon or with one hand. And thus, he created lamb chunks in a flavourful eggplant and yoghurt sauce. And the dish has been credited to him ever since.

Ingredients for Ali Nazik Kebab

The main ingredients in this recipe are:

• Lamb – flavourful chunks are the star of this dish.
• Eggplant (…or if you grew up in Europe, like I did, aubergine)
• Yoghurt – mixed with the eggplant to create the base for the cooked lamb pieces.
• Labneh – this is another type of yoghurt, popular in the Middle East.

Tips

• If you can, use delicious tender chunks of lamb that would be suitable for grilling.
• The eggplants were traditionally smoked over coal fires. However, not many of us have that option available (I certainly don’t!). One of my local guides in Istanbul explained that many Turkish locals use a small burner called a Kozmatik – so grab one of those, if you can!
• Pre-smoked eggplant is a real thing. So, if you want to skip the smoking step, you can buy yourself a jar, and use that instead.

Variations

There are a few easy variations you can make to this recipe:

• Swap out the lamb chunks for minced meat.
• If lamb is hard to obtain, it’s perfectly fine to swap it with beef (don’t go for super lean though).
• If you prefer a vegetarian version, you can replace the lamb chunks with a spiced tofu, or with grilled vegetables.

Serving suggestions

Alinazik Kebab is typically served alongside rice pilaf, or lavaash bread. Honestly, it’s great with most breads – if you’re into a bit of fusion, pair it with parathas. Grilled vegetables also make for a great pairing.

How to store Ali Nazik Kebab

This recipe can be refrigerated for 1-2 days in an airtight container. However, I’d make two small suggestions:

1. Store the lamb and the eggplant mixture in separate containers.
2. Consider mixing in around ¼ cup of lemon juice to the smoked eggplant. This will help to preserve a bit more of its colour.

More Middle Eastern recipes

• Cilbir
• Pastilla
• Merguez Shakshuka
• Kunafah

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Outside of a kozmatik (if you can get hold of one), there isn’t any special equipment that you’d need for this recipe. I would recommend having a good frying pan though.

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And that’s it! What did you think, bestie? Will you be trying Ali Nazik Kebab? This is definitely one of my favourite recent discoveries. If you’ve made it, or tried it in the past, let me know what you thought in the comments below!

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Ali Nazik Kebab

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author:
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: A large plate of Alinazik

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Description

Ali Nazik Kebab is a Turkish favourite that marries a tender lamb stew with a smoked eggplant puree and garlicky yoghurt mixture. And then drizzles a spiced, melted, butter all over it. This delicious main course from Gaziantep in Southern Turkey is a lamb dish you’ve got to try!

Ingredients

Units Scale

Lamb

• 500g lamb chunks/cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 leave of Daphne (Bay leaf)
• Salt
• Black pepper
• ½ tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ tablespoon powdered red pepper
• ½ tablespoon powdered hot pepper
• 3 coloured peppers

Eggplant & Yoghurt Mixture

• 2 bell eggplants or 3 eggplants
• 2 tablespoons labneh
• 3 tablespoons yoghurt
• salt
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed and peeled

Spiced Butter

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• ½ tablespoon red pepper

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Instructions

Roasting the eggplants

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Pierce the eggplants with a knife and place on a baking tray. Bake on the grill setting of the oven for 20-25 minutes turning occasionally.
3. Cut the roasted eggplants in half. Separate the seeds and shells (you can discard these bits, bestie) from the fleshy insides. If there is juice remaining, you’ll want to drain it using a colander. Set aside.

Cooking the lamb

1. Place your frying pot over a medium-high heat, once hot, pour in the olive oil, and add the lamb chunks. Once the lamb begins to release its juices, add the leave of Daphne and place a lid over the pan. Bring the heat down to low, about 5 minutes.
2. Add salt, pepper and tomato paste. Stir and cook, 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the spices and peppers and cook them for another 2-3 minutes, and your lamb should be ready!

Preparing the Spiced Butter

Mix the melted butter and ground red pepper. Easy peasy.

Assembling Ali Nazik Kebab

1. Place the eggplant insides in a large bowl, and mix together with the labneh, yoghurt, salt, and crushed garlic.
2. To serve: First, spread the yoghurt-eggplant mixture on to a serving plate and then add the cooked lamb on top. Drizzle with the spiced butter to take your flavour-receptors to the moon.

Notes

• If you’re wondering what a leaf of Daphne is – it’s another way of saying Bay leaf. It was the name someone I spoke to in Turkey used, and I thought it sounded beautiful, so I used it here too.
• To get the most authentic flavour, you’re looking for smokiness in your eggplants – the easiest way to do this is roasting them over a coal fire or using your gas burner. I don’t have a coal fire or a gas burner at home. So, I roast them in the oven!
• To help drain the eggplants of their juice, you can gently squeeze them. Wear a glove though, otherwise it will be a hot and unpleasant experience.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Turkish