• Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. 
• Cut eggplant into quarters lengthways, then deeply score the flesh to make a  criss-cross pattern. 
• Place eggplant on lined oven tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over sweet soy seasoning and season with salt. Toss to coat. 
• Roast until tender, 20-25 minutes.  

• Meanwhile, thinly slice radish. 
• In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and a good pinch of sugar and salt. 
• Add radish to pickling liquid. Add enough water to just cover the radish and set aside.

• Boil the kettle. 
• Half-fill a medium saucepan with boiling water. 
• Cook udon noodles over medium-high heat, gently stirring with a fork to separate, until tender, 1-2 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside. 
• Roughly chop baby spinach leaves. 
• Using a vegetable peeler, peel carrot into ribbons. 
• Finely chop garlic.

• To a microwave-safe bowl, add garlic and  the sesame oil. Microwave in 10 second bursts until sizzling. 
• Add the soy sauce, brown sugar and a splash of the pickling liquid and mix well. 

• To a large bowl, add garlic-soy dressing, the cooked udon noodles, shredded cabbage mix, baby spinach and carrot, tossing to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

• Drain pickled radish. 
• Divide noodle salad between bowls. 
• Top with pickled radish and sweet-soy eggplant. 
• Garnish with crispy shallots. 
• Drizzle with sesame dressing and tear over coriander to serve. Enjoy!