Sesame Crumbed Japanese Tofu

Add the udon noodles (see ingredients list) to the saucepan of boiling water. Cook until tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water and set aside.

While the noodles are cooking, combine the plain flour, the salt and a good pinch of pepper in a shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, whisk the egg. In a third shallow bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs (see ingredients list) and black sesame seeds. Take a big handful of tofu and coat in the flour mixture, followed by the egg, and finally in the panko sesame mix. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining tofu.

In a large frying pan, heat a good drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu and fry until golden, 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. TIP: If your pan is getting crowded, cook in batches for the best results!

Wipe out the pan with paper towel and return to a high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the broccoli and cook until starting to soften, 2 minutes. Add the carrot and cook until almost tender, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until tender and fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, the water and a good squeeze of lime juice, toss to combine, then remove from the heat. Add the udon noodles and toss to coat, adding a splash more water to loosen the sauce if needed.