I have always been fascinated by noodles. It began with the very questionable ones that come in a pot, followed by packets with sachets of sauce that I used to buy from a Chinese supermarket near where I grew up. Once I started travelling around the world, I discovered that there was more to cooking noodles than simply pouring water over them.

This week’s menu celebrates the joyous ingredient. In my Cantonese-style prawn chow mein, the fragrant prawns are served on crispy fried egg noodles that soak up the sauce and add a brilliant crunch. 

I’m also sharing a vegan version of dan dan noodles, with sticky-sweet aubergines, and a cheat’s version of cumin lamb noodles in which strips of fresh lasagne sheets mimic iconic Xi’an noodles.

My recipes all serve two, since most woks are too small and heat sources too low to get the right heat to cook for four in one go. If you want to scale up, double the quantities and use a large, wide-bottomed flat pan. This will mean the pan can get far hotter, so the ingredients stir-fry, rather than steam.

The original dish, called biang biang noodles, stars huge hand-pulled noodles from the northern Chinese city of Xi’an. You can create something similar with strips of lasagne sheets (yes, really). I’ve paired them with soft leg of lamb, spring onions and pak choy.