Parmigiana di Melanzane (Eggplant Parmesan) vs Sultan's Delight (Hünkar Beğendi)

Both dishes rely on eggplant, tomato, onion and garlic, yet they take them in very different directions. Parmigiana salts and fries eggplant rounds in olive oil, then layers them with a basil-scented tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan, baking everything until bubbly and golden. Hünkar Beğendi chars whole eggplants over a flame and folds the smoky, chopped flesh into a buttery milk-and-cheese roux for a creamy, slightly textured purée. Here the tomato goes into a slow-simmered lamb stew with green pepper and bay leaf, spooned generously on top.