Korean-spiced aubergine noodles

Matt’s Korean-spiced aubergine noodles bring the takeaway to your table, only better: crispy cornflour-dusted aubergine and umami shiitake mushrooms tumble through a sticky gochujang sauce with slurpable udon noodles. Finished with lime, fresh herbs, crunchy peanuts and chilli oil, this vegetarian, dairy-free spicy noodle dish nails sweet, savoury and tangy in every bite.

Jump To Recipe Original recipe by Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen 14 November 2026
Updated and enhanced with ingredient customisations, key techinques for success, and 4 wine pairing options.

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These Korean-spiced aubergine noodles land a C: aubergines, shiitake mushrooms and spring onions bring fibre and goodness with no dairy at all, while the deep-fried aubergine, honey and sesame oil add the oil and sugars that keep it out of the top grades. A balanced vegetarian treat, easy to lighten by shallow-frying.

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Ingredients

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How the timings work

• One deep-fat fryer (or a deep pan at 180C) plus a wok on the hob – and no oven at any point.
• The whole cook is about 25 minutes from chopping to table, all at the stove.
• The first 10 minutes: whisk the sauce, toss the aubergine in cornflour and bring the fryer to 180C; while the aubergine fries for 3-5 minutes, cook the udon in the saucepan and reserve a splash of its water.
• The last 8-10 minutes: soften the shiitake, hit the pan with garlic and ginger, bubble the sauce, then tumble in the aubergine and noodles.
• The final minute: lime juice, spring onions, sesame seeds, coriander, peanuts, crispy shallots and chilli oil – serve immediately, this dish waits for nobody.

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Method

Whisk the sauce (2 minutes)

1. Mix the sauce: In a mixing bowl, whisk 2 tbsp gochujang, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp runny honey, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tsp brown sugar and 4 tbsp water into a glossy reddish-brown sauce. Set aside – you’ll use it in one go later.

Deep-fry the aubergine (about 10 minutes, with the noodles alongside)

2. Heat the oil: Preheat a deep fat fryer to 180C (or a third full deep, heavy-based pan of oil – a cube of bread should sizzle and brown in about 20 seconds).
3. Coat the aubergine: Toss the aubergine chunks in 50g-100g cornflour until evenly coated, then shake off the excess – a thick pasty layer turns gluey rather than crisp.
4. Fry until crisp: Carefully lower the aubergine into the hot oil in batches (crowding drops the temperature and soaks the coating) and fry for 3-5 minutes until golden, crisp outside and spoon-tender within. Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and set aside.
5. Start the noodles: Meanwhile, cook the udon noodles in a saucepan according to the packet instructions, reserving a little of the cooking water before draining. (That starchy water is what turns the sauce silky rather than claggy.)

Stir-fry and bring it together (about 8 minutes)

6. Fry the mushrooms: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over a medium-high heat and fry the shiitake mushrooms for 3-4 minutes until softened and glossy.
7. Add the aromatics: Add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves and 1 tbsp grated ginger and fry briefly, stirring constantly – they’re done the moment the pan smells fragrant, because burnt garlic turns the whole dish bitter.
8. Bubble the sauce: Pour in the reserved gochujang sauce and let it come to a simmer and bubble for a minute until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
9. Toss it all together: Add the crispy aubergine and toss gently until evenly coated – keep the tossing brief so the crust stays crunchier for longer.
10. Noodles in: Add the drained udon and toss through the sauce, adding a splash of the reserved noodle water to loosen it to a glossy glaze that clings to every strand.

Finish and serve (2 minutes)

11. Finish bright: Squeeze over the juice of 1 lime – the sharpness lifts the sticky sauce – and scatter with 2 sliced spring onions, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 2 tbsp coriander leaves, 2 tbsp chopped toasted peanuts and 50g crispy shallots.
12. Serve immediately: Drizzle with chilli oil to taste and take it straight to the table while the aubergine is still singing.

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Techniques for Success

1. Keep the aubergine crisp, not oil-logged

Aubergine behaves like a sponge, so sloppy frying is the fastest way to ruin this dish: a cold fryer or an overloaded basket means the chunks drink oil and the cornflour goes pasty, giving you greasy soft lumps instead of the crisp shell that carries the whole noodle dish.

Do it right: hold the oil at a steady 180C; shake off excess cornflour; fry in small batches; and drain straight onto kitchen paper.

Success looks like deep golden chunks with a fragile, crackling shell and a silky centre. Taste: crisp, sweet, barely oily.

2. Mind the garlic and ginger, then bubble the sauce properly

Garlic and ginger burn in seconds over stir-fry heat, and burnt garlic turns the sauce acrid. Equally, sauce poured in cold and not simmered stays watery and never clings.

Do it right: stir the garlic and ginger constantly for 30 seconds only, until fragrant; then add the sauce and bring it to a genuine simmer for about a minute until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.

Success looks like a glossy, brick-red sauce with clean edges of flavour – sweet, savoury, tangy and hot, never bitter.

3. Use the noodle water to glaze, not soak

Udon is starchy and the sauce is thick, so without a little cooking water the noodles clump and the sauce sits in a lump. Add too much and you have soup.

Do it right: reserve the water before draining; add it a splash at a time while tossing; stop when the sauce turns from paste to glaze and flows slowly off the spoon.

Success looks like every noodle shining and separated, with the sauce pooling just slightly at the base of the bowl.

Technique	Failure if done wrong	Success looks like
Fry aubergine at 180C in small batches	Greasy, pasty, oil-logged chunks	Deep golden, crackling-crisp chunks with silky centres
30 seconds on the aromatics, then simmer the sauce	Bitter, burnt garlic in a watery sauce	A glossy brick-red sauce that coats the spoon
Loosen with noodle water, a splash at a time	Claggy clumped noodles or watery soup	Glossy, separated noodles in a slow-flowing glaze

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Tips and swaps

• Get ahead: The gochujang sauce mixes a day in advance and keeps covered in the fridge; fry the aubergine at the last minute – it’s the one element that must be fresh to stay crisp.
• Vegan: Swap the honey for maple syrup or agave; everything else in this recipe is already plant-based.
• Heat control: Gochujang brands vary a lot in fire; start with 1 tbsp, taste the sauce, and build – the chilli oil drizzle is your final adjustable kick.
• Swaps: Ramen or rice noodles replace udon; chestnut mushrooms stand in for shiitake; and cashews work instead of peanuts.
• Leftovers: Keep for up to 2 days in the fridge; reheat in a hot wok until piping hot throughout – the aubergine softens, so it’s best fresh the first night.
• Fryer safety: Keep the pan never more than a third full, dry the aubergine before coating, never leave hot oil unattended and let it cool completely before moving.

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Wine Pairing

Recommended by Helen McGinn:

Winzer Krems Orange Grüner Veltliner, Austria, 2024 – Majestic, from £11

Winzer Krems Orange Grüner Veltliner 2024 is an Austrian orange wine: white grapes fermented on their skins, giving a golden hue, gentle tannins and flavours of dried apricot, citrus peel and white pepper, with a savoury, textural finish at a friendly price.

Sticky gochujang sauce, crisp fried aubergine and umami-rich shiitake demand a wine with both freshness and texture. This orange Veltliner’s citrus zip tames the sweet heat, while its skin-contact grip and peppery edge stand shoulder to shoulder with the spicy noodles.

Here are equally good alternatives that pair beautifully with this dish:

Off-dry German Riesling – Aldi, around £7
A touch of sweetness calms the chilli heat while bright acidity keeps the fried aubergine feeling fresh.

Albariño – Sainsbury’s, around £11
Saline, citrusy and lively, it resets the palate between sticky, spicy forkfuls.

Alsace Riesling – Waitrose, around £17
Dry, structured and subtly smoky, it stands up to the gochujang without any oak getting in the way.

* Prices checked November 2026 and may vary. The alternatives are our suggestions, not necessarily wines recommended by Helen McGinn.

 

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