Recipe: Eggplant Purée - Hunkar Begendi

Serves from 4 to 6

1 eggplant, about 1 pound
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup hot milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander

Grill eggplant in a 350° degree preheated oven for one hour or until well baked. Allow to cool, then remove skin. Mash pulp, then place in saucepan with lemon juice and simmer over medium/low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

In the meantime, place butter and flour in a frying pan, then stirring constantly cook over medium heat until flour turns light brown. Stir frying pan contents, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg into eggplant. Keep stirring until the consistency of mashed potatoes, adding more milk if necessary. Stir in cheese then cook over low heat for a minute. Spread on a platter then decorate with coriander leaves and serve warm.

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