Uyghur Laghman Noodles

| By: Amal Umerani |

Laghman is a beloved household staple of the Uyghur ethnic group. It can be found all over Northwest China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. It is a hearty dish of meat (often lamb), vegetables, and pulled noodles. This meat stew and noodles are the perfect combos of spicy and savory. This dish is perfect for a cold winter day to warm one up.

Ingredients

Recipe Yield: ~4 servings

Prep Time: ~30 minutes

Cooking Time: ~30 minutes

• Laghman Pulled Noodles

  • 1 Packet of Udon Noodles

• Laghman Sauce

  • 200 Grams of meat (lamb, chicken, goat)

  • 2 Tablespoons of oil

  • 2 Teaspoons of cumin powder

  • 2 Teaspoons of red chili powder

  • 1 Tablespoon of minced garlic

  • 2 Bell peppers

  • 1 Onion 

  • 3 Potatoes

  • 3 Tomatoes

  • 2 Cups of water

  • 1 Tablespoon of salt

  • 2 Teaspoons of cornstarch

Cooking Instructions

1. Chop the bell peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, and onion

2. Mince the garlic

3. Cut the meat into squares

4. Add all the seasoning (cumin powder, red chili powder, salt, cornstarch) to the meat

5. Evenly coat seasoning over the meat by shaking

6. Heat the frying pan and add oil

7. Add the onion, garlic, potatoes, and meat

8. Stir fry for 7 minutes

9. Add the bell peppers and tomatoes, stir fry for 1 minute

10. Add the water and continue stir-frying until the water simmers down

11. While the sauce is simmering down in the frying pan, boil water in a large pot

12. Place the noodles in the pot and stir so the noodles don’t stick

13. Boil for about 8-10 minutes

14. When done boiling, drain the water and rinse with running water

15. Serve for enjoyment

Notes

Pulled noodles can be substituted with Udon or Spaghetti noodles. I substituted with Udon noodles as pulled noodles can be very difficult to make the first time. Although it is a main ingredient in the Uyghur kitchen, lamb can be substituted with any type of meat--I chose chicken as I was unable to access halal lamb at the time.