Vegetable lagman

Step 1: Mix 14 oz strong white bread flour and 1 tsp salt, add 1 cup water and knead for 5 minutes into a soft dough. Rest, covered, for 20 minutes.

Step 2: Knead in the ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda little by little, wetting your hands, for another 5 minutes, until the dough is silky and stretchy. Rest 15 minutes more.

Step 3: Roll the dough into a 2 cm thick sheet, cut into 1.5 cm strips and roll each strip into a rope. Coil the ropes on an oiled plate, brush all over with 4 tbsp sunflower oil, cover with cling film and rest for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Meanwhile make the vadja. Heat 4 tbsp sunflower oil in a wok or wide pan over a high heat until smoking. Fry 1 onion and 4 cloves garlic for 2 minutes until fragrant and starting to colour.

Step 5: Add 1 aubergine and 4 oz green beans and stir-fry for 4 minutes, until the aubergine is golden at the edges.

Step 6: Add 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper and 5 ½ oz green radish or daikon and stir-fry for 3 minutes more; they should keep some crunch.

Step 7: Stir in 3 tomatoes, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp chilli flakes and 1 star anise and fry for 2 minutes until the tomato breaks down and the oil turns red.

Step 8: Add 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 cup vegetable stock and ½ tsp salt, cover and simmer over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until thick and glossy. Fish out the star anise.

Step 9: Put a large pan of water on to boil. Take one rope, hold the ends and pull gently while bouncing it lightly against the worktop, then fold it in half and pull again, until it's as thick as spaghetti. If it tears, the dough needs more rest; one of the most common mistakes is rushing this.

Step 10: Drop the noodles into the boiling water as you pull them and cook for 2–3 minutes, until they float and are chewy but cooked through. Lift out and rinse briefly under warm water.

Step 11: Divide the noodles into deep bowls, ladle the vadja over, sprinkle with ⅓ oz fresh coriander and splash with 1 tbsp rice or white wine vinegar at the table.