Soba Noodles with Eggplant and Mango
Serves: 6
Soba Noodles with Eggplant and Mango |
This is a wonderful vegetarian dish. It could serve as a substantial starter or add some fried firm tofu or chicken and you have a main course. The refreshing nature of the cold soba noodles, the sweet sharpness of the dressing and mangoes and muskiness of eggplant – it just could not be more perfect. Other fried vegetables could also be added – wander through your refrigerator and see what you can find. I love adding roughly chopped Marcona almonds on top just for a little crunch.
Soba pasta |
- ½ C unseasoned rice vinegar
- 3 Tb sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 jalapeno or ½ fresh red chili, finely chopped
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1 C sunflower oil (divided)
- 2 large eggplants cut into ¾ inch dice
- Salt
- 8 to 9 oz soba noodles
- 1 large ripe mango, cut into ½ inch dice
- 1¼ C basil leaves, chopped, divided
- 2 C cilantro leaves, chopped, divided
- ½ medium red onion, very thinly sliced
- Chopped Marcona almonds – optional garnish
In a small saucepan gently warm the ½ C vinegar, 3 Tb sugar and ½ tsp salt
for up to 1 minute, just long enough to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat
and add 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 chopped chili and 1 tsp sesame oil. Allow cooling, and then
adding grated zest and juice of 1 lime.
Set aside.
Heat up sunflower oil in a large frying pan and shallow-fry 2 large diced eggplants in three or four batches.
Once golden brown remove to a colander, sprinkle liberally with salt and leave
there to drain and cool for at least 15 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water up to a
boil. Unlike Italian pasta, you do not need to salt the water for soba noodles.
Once it is boiling, hold the noodles over the water and sprinkle them in strand
by strand. Once all the noodles are in, stir gently so that they are all
immersed in the water. Bring the water back up to a gentle boil, and then lower
the heat so the water is just simmering. (This differs from the rolling boil
that is recommended for pasta.) If the water threatens to boil over, add about
½ C of cold water. But, if you lower the heat to a gentle simmer and have a big
enough pot, this should not be necessary. Cook for about 6-8 minutes, or
following the package instructions. Test by eating a strand – it should be
cooked through and not mushy. Drain the noodles into a colander. When you are
draining the hot water you may notice that it smells quite “floury”. This is
what you want to get totally rid of. Rinse thoroughly under cold water. You
want to wash the noodles. Take handfuls and gently swish about under running
water. Your goal is to wash off any
trace of starchiness or gumminess on the noodles. When you are done the water
should run clear. Shake off as much excess water as possible, and then leave to
dry on a dishtowel.
Draining the steaming noodles |
Drying the noodles |
Diced mangos |
Fresh basil (again from our garden) |
Wine pairing can be challenging
given the vinegar-based dressing. Beer and sake, of course. Champagne of
course…but then, I always love champagne! Other wines that would likely work
since the dressing is also quite sweet: Riesling or Viognier. Give them a try
and let me know what works in your home.
Larue
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