Who’s for noodles: Peanut butter pumpkin curry with crispy noodles 

This is great for entertaining – add some jasmine or basmati rice to serve, if you like.

SERVES 4

TAKES less than 45 minutes

1 litre sunflower oil, for deep-frying

150g fresh or straight-to-wok medium egg noodles

350g round shallots, peeled and trimmed

125g crunchy peanut butter

2 tbsp tomato purée

2 balls stem ginger, grated, plus 1 tbsp of the syrup

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp lime juice

150ml coconut cream

800g hunk sweet pumpkin (eg, delica or crown prince) or butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into big chunks

100g spinach leaves

salt and pepper

¼ tsp red pepper powder or chilli flakes, to serve

FOR THE CORIANDER RELISH

small bunch of coriander

3 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp sunflower oil

• Fill a high-sided wok or saucepan with oil to a depth of 8cm-10cm. When a cube of bread dropped in the oil immediately starts bubbling fiercely, you’re ready to fry. Line a tray with kitchen paper, then use metal tongs to carefully add a small bunch of noodles at a time to the hot oil, frying for 10-20 seconds until pale golden and crispy. Drain on the kitchen paper.
• Bring 1 litre water to the boil in a large saucepan, add the shallots and, once boiling again, cook for 4 minutes. Remove the shallots from the water with a slotted spoon.
• Whisk the peanut butter, tomato purée, grated ginger and 1 tbsp syrup, soy sauce, lime juice and the coconut cream into the saucepan of water. Bring the broth back to a simmer, then return the shallots with the pumpkin and simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened.
• Stir through the spinach and season.
• To make the relish, whiz the coriander, stalks and all, with the lime juice, water and oil to a loose pesto-like texture in a food processor.
• Serve the curry in deep bowls, scattered with crispy noodles and topped with a spoonful of the coriander relish and a sprinkle of red pepper powder or chilli flakes.