Name: Double Thai noodle salad with smoked aubergine, mango & avocado
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 2 medium aubergines; 4 wheat or egg noodle nests; 2 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce; 2 tbsp sunflower oil or rapeseed oil plus extra for frying; 25g sesame seed; 25g unsweetened desiccated coconut; 50g thin rice noodle (uncooked); 1 large mango peeled, cheeks cut into thin strips; 1 red pepper deseeded and cut into thin strips; ½ cucumber halved and seeds scooped out then cut into thin half moon slices; 4 spring onions sliced diagonally; 2 avocados stoned, peeled ad sliced and dressed with the juice of 1 lime; small pack mint leaves picked and torn; small pack coriander leaves picked and torn; 6 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 3 limes); 6 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce; 4 tbsp agave syrup; 1 large garlic clove crushed; 1-2 small red chillies finely sliced; 2 stalks lemongrass finely chopped; 4 lime leaves stem removed and finely chopped

Double Thai noodle salad with smoked aubergine, mango & avocado

For the salad

2 medium aubergines
4 wheat or egg noodle
nests
2 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce
2 tbsp sunflower oil or rapeseed oil
plus extra for frying
25g sesame seed
25g unsweetened desiccated coconut
50g thin rice noodle
(uncooked)
1 large mango
peeled, cheeks cut into thin strips
1 red pepper
deseeded and cut into thin strips
½ cucumber
halved and seeds scooped out then cut into thin half moon slices
4 spring onions
sliced diagonally
2 avocados
stoned, peeled ad sliced and dressed with the juice of 1 lime
small pack mint
leaves picked and torn
small pack coriander
leaves picked and torn

For the dressing

6 tbsp fresh lime juice
(about 3 limes)
6 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce
4 tbsp agave syrup
1 large garlic clove
crushed
1-2 small red chillies
finely sliced
2 stalks lemongrass
finely chopped
4 lime leaves
stem removed and finely chopped

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Prick the aubergines all over with a fork and roast on a baking tray until completely soft, about 30-40 mins. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Once cool, peel off as much skin as possible (don’t worry if a few small charred bits remain). Cut the flesh in half or thirds, then pull into roughly 5cm-long strands. Cover and set aside.
step 2
Cook the wheat or egg noodles following pack instructions, then drain well and place in a bowl. Toss with the soy sauce and oil, cover and set aside. To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients, mix well and set aside until needed.
step 3
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and dry-fry the sesame seeds until popping. Remove and set aside to cool. Repeat with the coconut, then set aside.
step 4
To cook the rice noodles, heat a 3cm depth of sunflower oil in a wok until hot – drop in a noodle to test, it should sizzle and float to the top. Cook in small batches, using tongs to turn them once, then remove and drain on kitchen paper.
step 5
Assemble the salad. Arrange the wheat noodles on a large platter, then sprinkle over the sesame seeds and coconut. Arrange the aubergine, mango, red pepper, cucumber, spring onions and avocado over the noodles. Top with the rice noodles and scatter over the herbs. Put the dressing in a bowl and serve on the side.