MEAL FOR ONE

everyday

meal for one

From the Sichuan province in China, dan dan noodles are a street-food classic – try our spin on it for a quick and satisfying vegan dinner packed with tender aubergine and rich, nutty sesame

recipe CASSIE BEST photograph TOM REGESTER

Aubergine & sesame dan-dan-style noodles

SERVES 1 PREP 15 mins COOK 15 mins EASY V

2 tsp sesame oil 1 small aubergine, cut into 1cm cubes 80g (1 nest) dried wheat noodles ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder 1 small garlic clove, crushed pinch of ground Sichuan peppercorns 1 tbsp tahini or Chinese sesame paste 1 tbsp hoisin sauce 1 tbsp light soy sauce 2 tsp black rice vinegar 1-2 tsp crispy chilli oil, to taste 2 spring onions, thinly sliced 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (we used a mixture of black and white)

1 Heat the sesame oil in a wok over a high heat and fry the aubergine for 5 mins until softened and starting to brown in places. Meanwhile, put the kettle on to boil. Cook the noodles in a pan of boiling water for a minute less than the pack instructions, then drain and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking process. 2 Add the five-spice powder, garlic and Sichuan pepper to the pan with the aubergine and stir-fry for 1 min. 3 Mix the tahini, hoisin, soy, vinegar and chilli oil together in a bowl. Stir in 50ml hot water from the kettle, then pour the mixture over the aubergine and cook for another 1-2 mins until coated in the glossy sauce. Add the noodles and toss to coat, adding a splash more hot water if the sauce is too thick. Sprinkle with the spring onions and sesame seeds just before serving.

GOOD TO KNOW vegan • fibre • iron • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 606 kcals • fat 24g • saturates 4g • carbs 71g • sugars 18g • fibre 17g • protein 19g • salt 4g