Recipe | Hawker-style red curry eggplant noodle soup

This is a laksa-style broth, simplified for midweek and store cupboard–friendly. Tofu puffs are perfect for sponging up flavour but they’re not a non-negotiable here, as the eggplant does its share of heavy-lifting in the edible-sponge department.

Malaysian-style noodle soups often use egg noodles, so hokkien noodles are a fun option here – though vermicelli rice noodles are always welcome if you’ve got some in the pantry. I do love the extra flavour chicken stock can bring to a speedy, yet flavour-packed, soup like this – but you can switch to veg stock if need be. For a richer broth, use coconut cream.

If you want to up the protein, add some frozen dumplings to the broth alongside (or instead of) the tofu.

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Serves → 4

Chop + stir → 20 minutes

Set + forget → 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 medium glossy eggplants (aubergines; about 600 g/1 lb 5 oz)

1/2 teaspoon salt flakes 

100 g (31/2 oz) fried tofu puffs, halved (optional)

1 tablespoon lime juice 

2 tablespoons fish sauce

neutral oil, for shallow frying

450 g (1 lb) hokkien noodles

Laksa-style broth

2 tablespoons neutral oil

1/4 cup (65 g) red curry paste (or 1/2 cup/130 g MYO, page 212), or laksa paste

2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock 

800 ml (28 fl oz) coconut milk 

1 tablespoon brown sugar (or maple syrup)

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Method

Eggplantsellence → Cut the eggplants into 4–5 cm (11/2–2 in) chunks and place in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the exposed eggplant faces, rubbing it in a little, then leave the eggplant to sweat while you make the broth. 

Make the broth → Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the curry paste. Cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes, or until the paste is aromatic and the oil separates from the paste. Stir in the stock, coconut milk and sugar and bring to a gentle boil. 

Add some puff → Add the tofu puffs to the broth now, if using. Allow the broth to simmer for 10 minutes, for the flavours to mingle. Stir in the lime juice and fish sauce, then taste for seasoning and adjust for balance of flavour.

Marty McFry → Line a large high-sided, heavy-based frying pan with baking paper. Pour in 1 cm (1/2 in) of oil and heat over medium–high heat until shimmering. Grab handfuls of the eggplant, squeeze the liquid out and fry in batches for 8–10 minutes, or until golden and crisp on the outside yet soft in the middle. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.

Noodle about → Boil a kettle, dump the noodles into a colander in the sink and pour the just-boiled water over the top, using tongs to separate them. Divide the noodles among serving bowls and pile the fried eggplant chunks on top.

Bring it home → Ladle the laksa broth into the bowls, dividing the tofu puffs between them. Top with the bean sprouts, coriander and jammy egg halves and serve with a dollop of chilli crisp oil.

Home stretch

100 g (31/2 oz) bean sprouts, soaked and chilled 

1/4 cup coriander (cilantro) sprigs

2 jammy boiled eggs (boiled for 6–7 minutes), halved

chilli crisp oil (shop-bought or MYO)

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Other recipes from Weeknights with Alice — 

Capsicum & cannellini panzanella tray bake

Chat potatoes + green beans + smoked trout + B ’n’ B pickle dressing