Del-icious!: Soba noodle salad with fried eggplant and paneer

Soba noodles are a recent discovery for me, something I certainly have only ever heard about since living in Vancouver. I've been away for nearly 9 years, but when I left, the Japanese foods scene in the Northern English town in which I lived was not exactly 'buzzing'. Sushi was a dubious delicacy you made a trip to Manchester for or maybe bought ready packed from a food court or supermarket. I once saw roast beef sushi for sale, I kid you not. Neil worked with a Japanese guy who was always hinting at how he wanted to go and visit London. I think he eventually got his wish, but after years of being denied because they knew he would never come back after he saw the sushi options in the big smoke. They were right, the last we heard he was living there.

My first ever foray to a Japanese restaurant was in London also, Notting Hill to be exact where I was disappointed with my ramen and prawn tempura because I didn't like the soggy batter the hot liquid had produced. Why go to all the trouble of making tempura batter shatteringly crisp, only to then immerse it in a liquid? I don't think I ever considered that there would be a Japanese alternative to the beloved Chinese chow mein. Vancouver's huge Japanese food scene changed all that. Yaki soba is something I could eat every day of the week. There's something about soba, the Japanese buckwheat flour noodles, that are so satisfying. They have an earthy taste and a satisfying, almost meaty mouth feel to them, especially when you shove a whole forkful into your mouth. Whether fried with sauce, sitting at the bottom of a dish of savoury, full flavoured broth or simply boiled and doused with raw vegetables and a piquant dressing like this one, they never fail to please.

Recipe : Soba noodles with raw veggies, fried eggplant and paneer and a sharp, sweet dressing

This recipe is something of a hybrid between one I read about at 101 cookbooks, here and another I saw in Bon Appetit magazine. It's perfect served cold or at room temperature with lots of crunch from the raw veggies and some substance from the fried paneer and creamy aubergine cubes.

1/2 block paneer, cut into cubes

1/2 eggplant, cut into cubes

1 cup mixed vegetables, such as radishes, cucumber, bell peppers, carrots etc, all cut into matchsticks

a large handful each of chopped fresh cilantro and basil

2 bundles of soba noodles

1/4 cup black vinegar or brown rice vinegar

1/6 cup of raw sugar or natural cane sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped finely

1/4 red chili pepper, minced

1/2 tsp roasted sesame oil

grated zest and juice of half a lime

1/6 cup oil, vegetable or peanut

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat until hot and fry the paneer and eggplant cubes until golden brown and soft. Remove and drain on kitchen towel.

Boil the noodles in a large pan of boiling salted water for the recommended time and drain in a colander, refreshing with cold water. Set aside to drain completely.

For the dressing, combine the vinegar, sugar and salt in a pan over medium heat. Cook gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the garlic, chili and sesame oil, then allow to cool and add the lime zest and juice. Set aside while you assemble the salad.

In a large bowl, mix together the well drained noodles, vegetables and eggplant and paneer cubes. Pour over the dressing, (start with half, adding more as you wish) and sprinkle over the chopped herbs. Mix everything together well and serve.