Meatballs with Smoky Eggplant Purée

When velvety beğendi meets sizzling köfte, you’re tasting a signature of Turkish cuisine. Beğendi—smoky roasted eggplant whisked into a creamy, cheese-laced béchamel—sets a luxurious stage for tender meatballs whose edges caramelise in the pan. The eggplants need just an hour in a hot oven to turn sweet and smoky, and while they rest you can brown your freezer-ready köfte to golden perfection. Spoon the lush purée onto the plate, nestle in the juicy meatballs, and enjoy a dish that feels both comforting and effortlessly elegant.

I keep a stash of my freezer-friendly meatballs on hand (find the full recipe here) because they make weeknight cooking feel like cheating in the best way possible.

Golden pan-fried meatballs served on top of a creamy smoky eggplant purée (beğendi)

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 10 freezer-friendly meatballs, thawed overnight in the fridge

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter for pan-frying

For the beğendi (smoky eggplant purée)

• 4 large eggplants

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 cups warm whole milk

• 1 cup grated mozzarella

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200 °C and pierce each eggplant a few times before wrapping them snugly in foil. Roast for about an hour until their flesh is completely soft and smoky, then let them cool just enough to peel away the skins. Mash the silky middles with a fork.

In a saucepan melt the butter, stir in the flour, and cook until the roux smells nutty and turns pale gold.

Whisk in the warm milk little by little until the sauce thickens into a velvety béchamel.

Fold in the mashed eggplant, grated garlic, and mozzarella, stirring until the cheese melts.

Season generously.

While the purée comes together, heat the olive oil or butter in a pan and brown the thawed meatballs until hot through and caramelised.

Spoon the smoky eggplant purée onto warm plates, top with the golden meatballs, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with parsley, and serve straight away.

Enjoy!