Recipe: Coconut peanut noodle salad with eggplant - Polly Markus

Polly Markus' coconut peanut noodle salad. Photo / Josh Griggs

A flavourful salad from Polly Markus’s new book Seriously Delicious. You can adjust the heat to what suits you.

This is a fabulous vegetarian summer noodle salad. Not only does it pack a huge amount of flavour, but it’s also brimming with vegetables. The warm heat from the curry paste is a pleasant surprise, and if you’re a peanut lover then you cannot go past this. If you want to spice things up even more, add chunky chili oil to serve.

Coconut peanut noodle salad with eggplant

Serves four.

Ingredients

• Two large eggplants - diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Two tsp cumin seeds
• 400g thin egg noodles
• 120g baby spinach – finely chopped
• One cup thinly sliced fresh mint
• One cup finely chopped fresh coriander (plus extra leaves for garnish)
• Chunky chili oil (optional)

Peanut sauce ingredients

• Olive oil
• Four garlic cloves - roughly sliced
• One Tbsp red curry paste
• 400ml can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• One Tbsp soy sauce

Cucumber salsa ingredients

• 1/2 cucumber - cut into 3cm (1 and 1/4in) matchsticks
• Two spring onions - thinly sliced
• Two tsp sesame oil
• One Tbsp lime juice

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C (400F) fan bake.
2. Place the eggplant on a lined baking tray. Drizzle with the oil and toss so the eggplant pieces are well-coated. Sprinkle the cumin seeds on top. Season with salt and cracked pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
3. To make the peanut sauce, ready a medium pan on medium heat. Add a splash of oil. Fry the garlic for three minutes. Add the curry paste. Simmer for a further minute. Add the coconut milk, peanut butter, water, lime juice and soy sauce. Simmer for three minutes, stirring often to ensure the sauce is well combined. Set aside.
4. To make the cucumber salsa, mix the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
5. Cook the noodles as per the packet instructions. Drain the cooked noodles in a colander. Run under cold water. Drain well. Place in a large bowl. Add the spinach, mint and coriander.
6. Add the cooked eggplant to the peanut sauce and stir to coat. Fold into the noodles until well-combined.
7. To serve, divide between four bowls. Top with cucumber salsa, a few extra coriander leaves and a drizzle of chili oil (if using).

Seriously Delicious by Polly Markus.

Seriously Delicious by Polly Markus ($49.99), published by Allen & Unwin.