Sultan's Delight (Hunkar Beguendi)

Also from Mideast and Mediterranean Cuisines is this Turkish recipe for a cheesy eggplant purée.  It's a "salad" in the sense that it's sometimes served cold, but it is a cooked dish.  I'm learning that in some parts of the world, "salad" refers to pretty much any prepared vegetable dish.

The description in the recipe says it should be a bed for lamb stew or chicken.  You could use it instead of couscous or rice as a lower-carb option.  It would also make a great dip or sauce for falafels, or even a pasta sauce.  I topped it with lightly seasoned chickpeas for a vegetarian night.

What I wasn't expecting was for it to be more cream sauce than eggplant.  While not really complaining, it isn't what I had planned.  The yield was also a bit under what I had envisioned.  So I'm keeping the sauce recipe the same and adding a second eggplant to this post.  If you want yours to look like my photos, use only one eggplant.

2 large eggplants
2 Tb butter
2 Tb flour
1 C milk or half and half
1/2 C grated Parmesan
salt and white pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 400º.  Wash eggplants and pierce in several places to prevent explosions.

2.  Roast eggplants on a foil-lined baking sheet or roasting pan until soft, about 1 hour.  Allow to cool until easy to handle, then split open and scoop out the roasted flesh.  Mash the pulp and set aside.

3.  In a saucepan, melt the butter (or margarine) over medium heat.  Add flour and cook into a roux.  Slowly add milk, about 1/4 C at a time, and allow it to thicken before the next addition.  Add Parmesan to the cream sauce.  Taste, then add salt and pepper as desired.

4.  Stir in mashed eggplant and heat thoroughly.  Spoon onto plates and top with whatever you choose, or chill to serve as a dip.

Difficulty rating  :)