Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for cold tomato and tahini noodles with peanut, coriander and lime | Noodles

Can a person in a heatwave ever have too many cold noodle dishes? I’d wager no – hence today’s recipe. It started life as one of my favourite meals, the mighty spaghetti pomodoro, but then packed its bags and travelled through the Middle East, picking up some tahini along the way, then on to Indonesia for some heat (sambal oelek), and then hopped over to Vietnam for a final hurrah of fresh lime, coriander and peanuts. The result is a creamy but perky tomato sauce that can live in the fridge for up to a week for the too-hot-to-cook days.

Cold tomato and tahini noodles with peanut, coriander and lime

I’ve said “light” tahini and agave syrup (over “dark”), but if the jar or bottle doesn’t say which it is, don’t worry. Ramen noodles are available in larger supermarkets; you’ll need to go farther afield (or online) for sambal oelek, a bright Indonesian chilli sauce, but it’s worthwhile. It’s a very easy-to-use and versatile condiment. You can make the tomato sauce ahead of time and add the cooked noodles and topping when you’re ready to serve.

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4

250g ramen noodles
3½ tbsp neutral oil (eg, rapeseed or sunflower)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1½cm x 2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
400g tin finely chopped tomatoes (AKA “polpa”)
1¼ tsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp sambal oelek
2 tbsp light tahini
1½ tbsp light soy sauce
1½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp light agave syrup
75g roasted salted peanuts, finely chopped to breadcrumb size
1 lime, zest finely grated, then juiced to get 1 tbsp
15g fresh coriander, finely chopped

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Just before the end of the cooking time, take out a small mug of the cooking water, then drain the noodles and rinse them under the cold tap until cold. Gently and with clean hands, mix in a tablespoon of oil, then leave to drain.

To make the sauce, put two tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan or deep saute pan on a medium heat. When hot, add the garlic and ginger, cook for a couple of minutes until sticky and golden, then add the tinned tomatoes. Fill the empty tin a quarter-full of water (to get the last bits), then tip this into the pan, too, along with a teaspoon of salt and the sambal oelek.

Cook for eight to 10 minutes, until the bubbles are thick and the sauce reduced. Mash away any lumps of tomato with a potato masher, then take off the heat and stir through the tahini, soy sauce, sesame oil and agave.

For the topping, put the peanuts, lime zest, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and half a tablespoon of oil in a small pan on a medium to low heat, and stir frequently until the peanuts take on a deep, brown colour. Stir in the tablespoon of lime juice, leave that to dry off, then take off the heat and leave to cool for five minutes.

Stir the coriander through the topping mix. Add the noodles to the cooled sauce, toss to coat, then tip on to a platter and sprinkle over the topping.