Entree: Tajikistan – Northern Culinary Region – Лагман ➤ Lagman (Hand-pulled wheat noodles served with stir-fried lamb and vegetables in a savory, spiced sauce)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 35 min

Cook 1 hr 10 min

Total 1 hr 45 min

Ingredients

- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (6 g) salt for dough
- 1 large egg (50 g)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water, plus extra as needed
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) vegetable oil, divided
- 1 lb (454 g) lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 tsp (5 g) salt for lamb, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) black pepper
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots, julienned
- 2 bell peppers, sliced (red or green)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp (15 g) tomato paste
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground cumin
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) red chili flakes (adjust to taste)
- 2 cups (480 ml) beef or vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (15 g) fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped for garnish
- Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1. To make the noodles, combine flour and 1 tsp salt in a bowl. Whisk egg into 1/2 cup water and gradually mix into flour until a firm dough forms. Knead 8–10 minutes until smooth, cover and rest 30 minutes.
2. While dough rests, heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil in a heavy skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Season lamb with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and brown in batches until nicely seared; remove and set aside.
3. In the same pan add 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil and sauté onions until translucent, then add garlic, carrots and bell peppers and cook 4–5 minutes until softened.
4. Stir in tomato paste and diced tomatoes, cook 2 minutes, then add cumin, coriander and chili flakes. Return lamb to pan, add stock, soy sauce and vinegar/lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook 30–40 minutes until lamb is tender and sauce has concentrated; adjust seasoning.
5. Meanwhile divide rested dough into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured surface roll each piece into a long rope and stretch or pull into long thin noodles (or roll thin and cut into 1/4-inch strips if pulling is impractical). Toss noodles lightly with 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil to prevent sticking.
6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles 2–4 minutes until al dente (fresh noodles cook quickly). Drain and portion into bowls.
7. Spoon the lamb and vegetable sauce generously over the noodles, garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.