How To Make

Desi Coconut Cold Noodle Bowl

Sambar masala is not where most people would start a bowl of cold noodles, but it holds up better than expected once coconut milk is in the mix; the two lean on each other the way they already do in a dozen South Indian kitchens, just rerouted here through a bowl of chilled Yippee noodles instead of rice. The base starts ordinary enough: cumin and coriander seeds bloomed in oil, garlic and ginger softened through; a proper mix of capsicum, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots and beans tossed in after. What turns it into a broth rather than a stir-fry is the water and coconut milk added later, simmered with fresh coriander and sambar masala until it tastes like something between a South Indian rasam and a coconut curry, then cooled and chilled properly before it goes anywhere near the noodles. Fried onions, crushed peanuts and crisp curry leaves on top are doing the same job they'd do on a plate of bhel, adding crunch and salt to a bowl that's otherwise soft and cold throughout.