To cook the lamb, peel the small onion and cut a deep cross (+) into the top with a knife. Place it in a saucepan with the lamb, turmeric, and enough water to cover. Cook until the meat is tender. (I used a pressure cooker.)

Crush the garlic and lightly fry it with the golden fried onions.

Finely chop the walnuts.

Add enough water to the rice so it stands about 2 cm (¾ inch) above the rice. Cook until the grains are almost completely tender and all the water has been absorbed. A little salt may be added if desired. Set aside.

Add the fried eggplants to the lamb cooking liquid and cook until they become completely soft and all the liquid has evaporated. Leave the onion used for cooking the lamb in the pot.

Blend everything well with an immersion blender or mash thoroughly with a hand masher until well combined, as shown in the video.

Add the shredded lamb, kashk, walnuts, turmeric, and black pepper. Mix well over medium heat, stirring continuously until the mixture slides easily around the bottom of the pot as shown in the video.

Taste and adjust the salt only at the end, since both the kashk and the salted eggplants already contribute salt.

Transfer to a serving dish. Halim Bademjan is traditionally served with fresh bread.

Note
The garnish is completely optional and is usually prepared for special occasions rather than everyday family meals.

You can reserve a small amount of the fried onions, walnuts, and kashk for decorating.

My garnish includes Piaz Dagh Asali, kashk mixed with a little turmeric, walnuts, and Nana Dagh (mint oil).

For best results, use thick kashk rather than very thin or watery kashk. If your kashk is thinner, add it gradually and adjust the amount as needed.

If you would like to prepare the mint oil, combine 1 g ground dried mint with 15 g oil over low heat. As soon as the oil begins to gently bubble around the edges of the pan, remove it from the heat to prevent the mint from burning. Let it rest for about 30 minutes before using; the color will deepen beautifully, as shown in the photos.

My Serving & Garnishing Method

The consistency of the kashk in the piping bag should be the same as the kashk shown above. Make a small hole at the tip of the piping bag.

Pay attention to the placement of the dots.

Pay attention to the consistency of the kashk and turmeric mixture. If your kashk is thicker, gradually thin it with a small amount of cooled boiled water until it reaches the desired consistency.

Spread the Nana Dagh (mint oil) in the same way as the kashk, using a toothpick.