Plenty of Plenty: Soba Noodles with Eggplant and Mango

When it came time to choose the next recipe to tackle in Ottolegnhi’s vegetarian Bible, I didn’t quite know where to start. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of options, each accompanied by a full page, colorful photograph that would entice even the most avid carnivores to taste tofu, I turned to the far more manageable table of contents which sorts the plethora of possibilities into different categories, organized by vegetables.

While I was intrigued by the prospect of cooking a recipe from the “funny onions” category (what exactly makes them funny??) and was briefly enticed by the exotic sounding “brassicas” (turns out that’s a lot of broccoli), it was “the mighty eggplant” that captured my heart, for how could anyone not want to eat a vegetable that can be described as “mighty.” While all of Ottolenghi’s eggplant concoctions seemed both delicious and far too advanced for me, it was the soba noodles with mango that immediately caught my eye (and by eye I mean stomach), and when I discovered that many of the ingredients it called for I had left over from the Brussels sprouts and tofu recipe (the plethora of mysterious-sounding Asian sauces that I have failed to use since) it only made it seem that much more attractive.

With two successful meals under my belt, I felt confident enough to take a few small (read: miniscule) liberties with the recipe, substituting fresh red chilis with habanero chilis to add some extra spice (because no amount of Mucinex has been able to clear my sinuses this fall) and adding tofu because just noodles with eggplant and mango isn’t going to get anywhere close to satisfying my massive appetite. The recipe itself didn’t appear too challenging, and most of it was, dare I say it, easy. While Ottolenghi is as vague as ever with his directions to “gently warm the vinegar” (um, how do I set the stove to “gently”??), the marinade for the noodles proved easy enough to make as all it really required of me was to dissolve sugar and salt into vinegar and stir in lime juice and the seasonings, and its sweet and tangy scent was strong enough to bring my friend’s curious roommates downstairs to investigate. Even when the recipe instructed me to “shallow-fry” the eggplant, I did not hesitate, carefully dropping the diced “mighty” vegetable in the pan in small batches. However, while I braced myself against the attack of the burning oil splatters that I was sure were going to leap out of the pan as they did with the Brussels sprouts, when I finally worked up the courage to drop the eggplant in the pan, with eyes tightly shut and legs tensed, there was hardly even a hiss. Panicking that the oil wasn’t hot enough I quickly (and predictably) overreacted, cranking the heat as high as it would go, which of course sent a cascade of oil at me the next batch (which some not-so-small part of me enjoyed… what can I say I like what I know).

In fact, the hardest part of the entire cooking process was the waiting I had to painfully endure after the actual cooking was done. I somehow missed the part where Ottolenghi directs you to let the noodles sit in the marinade for two hours the first time I looked at the recipe, and only managed to make it about an hour and a half before I simply couldn’t listen to my stomach’s loud growls any longer, and gave in, ignoring his two hour stipulation. Even with my impatience I still thought the noodles were incredibly flavorful, and somehow managed to devour all six portions with only two other people… the only thing I regret is that there weren’t any leftovers.

Soba Noodles with Eggplant and Mango

Ingredients:

½ cup rice vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ fresh red chili, finely chopped (substituted habanero chilis)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 cup sunflower oil
2 eggplants, cut into ¾-inch dice
8 to 9 oz soba noodles
1 large ripe mango, cut into 3/8-inch dice
1 2/3 cup basil leaves, chopped
2 ½ cups cilantro leaves, chopped
½ red onion, very thinly sliced
firm tofu (if desired)

Directions:

In a saucepan gently warm the vinegar, sugar and salt for up to 1 minute until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add the garlic, chili and sesame oil. Allow to cool and then add the lime zest and juice.
Heat up the sunflower oil in a large pan and shallow-fry the eggplant in three or four batches. Once golden brown remove to colander, sprinkle with salt and let drain.
Cook the noodles in boiling salted water, stirring occasionally. They should take 5 to 8 minutes to become tender but still al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Shake off the exces water, then leave to dry on a dish towel.
Toss the noodles with the dressing, mango, eggplant, half of the herbs and the onion in a large bowl. Leave this aside for 2 hours. When ready to serve add the rest of the herbs and mix well.

-Emily Waxman