Lamb Stew – Ali Nazik

If you think this is your average lamb stew, you’re mistaken! Ali Nazik is a unique lamb stew that’s very popular in Turkey and utterly delicious! This is another family recipe which I’m excited to share with you! Think about a show stopper lamb dish that will have everyone ask you for the recipe.

I’m honored to partner with the American Lamb Board –your top resource for everything American lamb has to offer! Together, we’re sharing this historic Turkish recipe which dates back to the 16th century, and is very popular till this day!

What is Ali Nazik?

While by definition, Ali Nazik is a lamb stew, it is however so much more than that! It starts with tender chunks of lamb cooked in a sweet pepper,  tomato and chili flakes stew with onions, garlic and bay leaves. 

The lamb chunks are then served over smokey eggplants that are charred over direct flame. This can be done in your BBQ or by placing the eggplants directly over the flame of your gas stove. If you can’t do either of those, then you can also use your broiler for that charred flavor. 

The final layer of flavor in this Lamb stew comes from a garlicky lemon yogurt which is mixed with the charred eggplants. 

Ali Nazik combines all these unique flavors of lamb stew, smokey eggplant, bright lemony yogurt and hot chili flakes. So when I mention it as a show stopper dish, I really mean it! 

Every single person, literally everyone who tries this for the first time is intrigued by the flavors. There’s something about it that makes it so popular and I can’t wait for you guys to make it too!

Another bonus to this recipe is that it doesn’t use complex ingredients or involves any complex techniques.It’s super simple, yet the final dish tastes rich and complex. Watch the video below:

Lamb Stew Recipe Ingredients

There are basically two components to this recipe, the first is the lamb stew and the second is the eggplant and yogurt prep.

The best thing is that you can start by making the stew, and while the lamb is cooking, you’ll have just enough time to make the eggplant. So let’s break it down.

How to Make Lamb Stew

Well as always, I start by using American Lamb. You can check all my lamb recipes here  and you’ll notice that I don’t skimp when it comes to using American Lamb.

American Lamb is absolutely the freshest you can get, and it is the tastiest in my opinion. Believe me, I know my lamb! So trust me on this one–you can not beat the fresh buttery sweet taste of American lamb. You just can’t!

For the lamb stew, you can use your favorite cut of lamb. It really depends if you prefer a higher level of marbling or a lesser one. I used a combo today because I love some marbling from the leg of lamb, yet I also love the lean sirloin. 

The lamb is seasoned with salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg (really classic Turkish lamb spices), along with some cayenne pepper (or Turkish chili flakes: pul biber).

To make the stew, start by sauteing your onions until they’re soft and translucent. Don’t rush this step as you want the sweet onions flavor, rather than the string astringent one.

Now add in your spiced lamb chunks and garlic, and sautee for about 5 minutes.

Then you’ll add turkish sweet pepper paste (biber salcasi) which you can find online or at ethnic stores. You can substitute that with roasted red pepper. Tomato juice or puree goes in, some stock and a bay leaf. At that point your lamb stew is ready to boil and then simmer over medium low heat until the lamb is tender.

In the meantime you’ll make the eggplant.

How to Make the Stew Sauce

You’ll start by piercing the eggplant along the length of it, and this is to prevent it from exploding from the cooking steam.

You’ll need to charr the outer skin of the eggplant and this can be done in three ways. The first one is placing the eggplant directly over the stove. This is what I’ve shown here and that’s how my grandma made it (unless she had her BBQ on).

The second way which is great and even more flavorful is to do so using a BBQ-charcoal is always preferred. 

The final way is using your broiler. You want to charr the outer skin of the eggplant so you’ll be rotating it every few minutes to get there.

Once the eggplant skin is really charred you’ll cover it with a plastic wrap to soften the skin. This allows you to peel it off easily and smoothly.

After peeling, you’ll finely mince the eggplant using a knife.

The yogurt sauce is simply yogurt mixed with garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice. 

Serve Ali Nazik Lamb Stew

Your lamb stew is ready once it’s soft and most of the stock has been absorbed. Keep in mind this is not a saucy stew–you will have some sauce but very minimal. The amount of sauce is just enough to coat the lamb chunks, and you’ll have a bit more dripping on the sides.

To serve Ali Nazik, start by mixing the eggplant and yogurt together into one thick sauce.

You can add more chili flakes here, and even some fresh herbs (like parsley and mint) or you can leave it as is. My grandma always added the chili flakes and herbs on top rather than mixing it in, however I have had it at a few places where it was mixed in.

You’ll then pile the lamb stew right over the eggplant yogurt mixture, classically along the center to allow the eggplant to shine on the sides.

The final touch is more chili flakes, fresh herbs, fresh chilies and lemon wedges.

How to eat Lamb Stew

Another unique aspect of serving this lamb stew is that you wouldn’t find it served with rice, potatoes or pasta. It’s mostly served with bread, and very rarely served with a rice pilaf. 

The bread is the best scooper for the luscious yogurt eggplant base and the succulent lamb stew. 

You’ll also find it lately served as is for a low carb meal because it’s super filling and tasty that you won’t really miss the carbs!

Lamb Stew Tips

• Always use American Lamb for quality tasting lamb dishes. American lamb is always fresh, it’s raised with a high industry standard and it’s widely available! You’ll notice it has a rich buttery sweet taste.
• When choosing the cut of lamb, make sure you know that the amount of fat marble in the cut will contribute to the taste of your dish. If you’re after a rich lamb flavor, choose only a devoted leg of lamb. If you’re in between, choose boneless shoulder meat. And if you’re up for a milder flavor and leaner cut, choose the lamb sirloin. If you’re like me and want the best of both worlds, choose a combo!
• If you’re unable to find the Turkish chili flakes, feel free to use regular ones. Similarly with the Turkish red pepper paste.
• It’s best to start with the lamb stew and while it cooks, you’ll have enough time to make the eggplant yogurt sauce.
• Charring the eggplant is key to that unique smoky flavor of Ali Nazik–so don’t roast, fry or grill your eggplants. You want a really burnt charred skin which you’ll peel off and use the melt in your mouth eggplant.
• You can add fresh mint and parsley to the yogurt along with more chili flakes.
• It’s best to assemble the dish before serving to ensure it’s warm.
• You can serve the dish as it for a light yet filling meal, or with bread or rice pilaf.
• Leftovers are best served cold with a salad or warmed up slightly in the microwave.
• You can prepare the lamb stew 3 days in advance along with the yogurt sauce. Make sure to assemble them right before serving.

I can’t urge you enough to try this unique recipe that’s complex tasting yet super simple to make! 

Family Lamb Recipes

Lamb Sausage

Boneless Leg of Lamb

Lamb Shoulder Chop Recipe

How to Cook Lamb With Moroccan Spice

Lamb Shanks with Skyr

Grilled Lamb Skewers BBQ Party

Ultimate Lamb Kabab Platter

Roast Lamb Shoulder Recipe

Roast Lamb And Chickpeas

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