Rich lamb stew with aubergine purée (Hunkar begendi).

BBC - Food - Recipes : Rich lamb stew with aubergine purée (Hunkar begendi)
This stew is spicy with a fair bit of tomato in it and cooked until the sauce is thick and unctuous, but what makes it special is the aubergine purée.
Ingredients
For the red pepper paste
660g red peppers
50g tomato purée
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
For the aubergine purée
4 medium aubergines
30g butter
30g plain flour
380ml full-fat milk
75g Parmesan cheese, grated
1 lemon, juice only
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the lamb stew
4 tbsp olive oil
850g boned lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm/1¼in cubes
1 tbsp red pepper paste
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 green finger chilli, sliced
1 green pepper, seeds removed and sliced
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
200ml hot water
chopped flatleaf parsley, to serve
Preparation method
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
For the red pepper paste, roast the peppers for 20-30 minutes until dark and softened.
Transfer to a bowl and cover with cling film, then leave until cool enough to handle.
Remove the charred skins, stalks and seeds.
In a blender, blitz the red peppers with the remaining ingredients.
Store for up to a week in a jar in the fridge.

Put the aubergines on a baking tray and bake whole for 25 minutes.
When soft, remove from the oven and leave to cool.

For the lamb stew, warm half the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole pan over a high heat and brown the lamb in batches.
When browned, return all the lamb to the pan, add the red pepper and tomato pastes, the remaining olive oil, and the onion, garlic, chilli and green pepper.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook until softened.
Add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper, and finally the hot water.
Bring to a simmer then turn down the heat, cover with the lid and allow to cook slowly for 1-1½ hours.

When cool enough to handle, peel the aubergines and mash the flesh with a fork.
In a pan over a medium heat, make a roux; melt the butter, add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, then add the milk to give a thick white sauce.
Mix in the aubergine, the grated cheese and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
Keep warm.

When the lamb is tender, check the sauce; it should be rich and thick.
If it’s too runny, remove the lamb and reduce the liquid a little, then return the meat to the pan and warm through.
Serve the stew on top of the aubergine purée, scattered with parsley.

PS 111. Hünkar Beğendi / Хюнкяр беенди - Мясо на подушке из печеных баклажан с бешамелью - Кухня турецких тетушек:
- "Дворцовое (для султана) с бешамелью".
- овощи под соусом бешамель в Турции называют бегенди - Beğendi.
- мягкое мясо, поданное на белой овощной подушке из запеченных баклажан с бешамелью и сыром.