Soba noodle salad with fried paneer

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.