SWEET TREATS
Here is a great weeknight dinner that comes together on the stove in just under 20 minutes. Soft, sticky and flavor-packed aubergine meets crunchy broccoli and earthy noodles. Heaven in a bowl.
I've had the wildest craving for noodles lately. We have both been making ramen soup and also a tofu noodle recipe from our next book. And last week I had an aubergine left from another job and made this quick dish for lunch. While the aubergine was frying and the noodles were cooking, I had just enough time to stir together the dressing.
The dressing makes the dish, it has a good amount of ginger to give it a fresh punch – and sesame oil, miso and tamari to make it umami rich. It's an excellent quick lunch or dinner with the soft and flavorful aubergine, crunchy broccoli, earthy buckwheat noodles and chili for heat.
I posted a photo on instagram and had 394 comments from people who wanted the recipe. So, here it is. I thought it could be fun to do this as a Lunch Therapy cookalong this Wednesday. So if you follow me on instagram (@gkstories) I'll share more info there.
Hope you like it. Tag me in a photo if you make it. Or make it together with me for Lunch Therapy.
This recipe is part of a series for World Vegetarian Awareness Month. Read more about it over at Inika Superfoods.
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp oil, for frying
1 medium aubergine
Soba noodles, for 2 persons
200 g tenderstem broccoli
1-2 spring onions
1/2 garlic clove
1 red chili, finely chopped
A good handful baby spinach
a small bunch fresh coriander (optional)
Sesame seeds
Miso and ginger marinade
1 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp water
2 tsp shiro miso
1 tsp maple syrup
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 garlic clove, finely grated
PREPARATION
Recipe Notes:
– If you don't like aubergine, you could use mushrooms or tofu instead.
– Soba noodles are made from buckwheat which is naturally gluten-free. But always check the package if you are intolerant as there are many brands who mix wheat and buckwheat.
– The marinade doesn't have any acidic ingredient, which I actually prefer in the recipe, but you could addd a splash of rice vinegar or lemon juice if you want.
1. Cut the aubergine in dices and add to a well-oiled pan on medium heat, along with a pinch of salt. You want them to shrink in size and get color on the sides, it takes around 6-8 minutes. Toss and stir every now and then to prevent them from sticking to the pan, and add more oil if needed.
2. Meanwhile, stir together the marinade in a small bowl. It ca be a little tricky to get the miso to dissolve, I often use the backside of a teaspoon to mash it up and the use a whisk to get it smooth.
3. Cook the noodles according to packet instructions. When done, rinse them in cold water. This is important to get the starches off so they don’t become sticky and cloggy.
4. Cut the broccoli into thin stalks and coarsely chop the spring onion.
5. When the aubergine looks done, scooch them into a bowl and add the broccoli, spring onions, half a garlic clove and half of the chili to the pan. Char each side of the broccoli for just a minute or two.
6. Pour the aubergine back in and add half of the marinade. Stir around.
7. Add the noodles (we like a high filling-to-noodle-ratio so start with 2/3 of the noodles and keep the rest as backup to add in if needed) and a handful spinach and take it off the heat. Give it a toss and plate on two bowls. Top with sesame seeds, coriander, the rest of the chili and a drizzle of the remaining marinade.
8. Enjoy!
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