Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan-forced. Boil the kettle. Cut the eggplant into small chunks. Place the eggplant on a lined oven tray with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and toss to coat. Spread out evenly, then roast until tender, 20-25 minutes. TIP: Adding enough oil will ensure the eggplant softens in time.

While the eggplant is roasting, finely chop the garlic. Thinly slice the carrot into half-moons. Roughly chop the Asian greens. Thinly slice the long green chilli (if using).

Add the udon noodles to a medium heatproof bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover the noodles, then set aside until tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir occasionally with a fork to separate. Drain.

In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Cook the carrot, tossing occasionally, until softened , 4-5 minutes. Add the Asian greens, ginger & lemongrass paste (see ingredients), garlic and Southeast Asian spice blend and cook until wilted and fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, a pinch of brown sugar and the rice wine vinegar. Stir to combine and simmer until slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes. TIP: Add a dash of water to the pan to help speed up the veggie cooking process.

Add the roasted eggplant and cooked noodles to the coconut curry. Gently stir to combine and season to taste. TIP: If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water to loosen.

Divide the eggplant coconut curry noodles between bowls. Top with the crispy shallots and chilli. Tear over the coriander to serve.