Soba noodles with lime, cardamom and avocado

Scraping the seeds from 12 cardamom pods and crushing them might feel like a bit of a fiddle, just for ½ tsp, but it’s a few minutes well worth spending. Unleashing the fruity, floral and citrusy spice into the dish makes it really quite distinct.

I like to eat this either as it is, for a quick lunch or light supper, or with some prawns or tofu stirred through just before serving. It also works well served alongside some pan-fried salmon or topped with a soft-boiled egg.