Sultan's Delight (Hunkar Begendi)

Ingredients:

-Stew-
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 package beef substitute
1/2 onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, finely diced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 small roma tomatoes, finely diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt and pepper

-Eggplant Puree-
2 large eggplants
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup kashkaval or parmesan cheese
3/4 cup milk
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Cook onion in the oil until soft. Add beef and jalapeno and cook for a few minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and some water. Cover and bring to a boil until stew is cooked through. Add paprika, salt, and pepper.

Roast the eggplant and remove the skins. Mash the pulp of the eggplant and stir lemon juice into it. Set aside.

In a saucepan, prepare roux sauce by melting butter and adding the flour. Gradually stir in the milk. Add cheese, salt and pepper. Stir in the eggplant.

To assemble, make a bed of the eggplant puree on a shallow dish. Spoon stew over it and garnish with the parsley.