Lagman

Lagman (Uzbek Hand-Pulled Noodles with Lamb Stew)

Lagman is a Silk Road classic from Uzbekistan, where long, springy hand-pulled noodles meet a rich stew of lamb, bell pepper, tomato, onion and garlic, all scented with toasted cumin. The dish is cooked in every Uzbek home and is a beloved staple of Fergana Valley cuisine.

Prep

60 min

Cook

75 min

Total

135 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Hard

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) lamb shoulder, boneless, cut into 2 cm cubes; beef brisket works as a substitute
• •60 ml (¼ cup) neutral oil (sunflower or cottonseed)
• •300 g (10½ oz) onion, about 2 medium, thinly sliced into half-moons
• •400 g (14 oz) bell peppers, mix of red and green, cut into strips
• •300 g (10½ oz) tomatoes, fresh, grated on the coarse side of a box grater, skin discarded; or 400 g canned crushed
• •30 g (¼ cup) tomato paste
• •6 g (1 tbsp) ground cumin, toast whole seeds in a dry pan and grind for best flavour
• •2 g (1 tsp) red pepper flakes (optional), for heat, traditional
• •10 g (6 cloves) garlic, finely chopped
• •15 g (¼ cup) fresh herbs (cilantro, dill, basil mix), roughly chopped, Uzbek-style trio
• •1 litre (4 cups) hot water or light lamb broth, to moisten the stew; broth gives a soupier lagman
• •1.5 g (¾ tsp) salt, plus more to taste
• •1 g (½ tsp) black pepper
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• •240 ml (1 cup) lukewarm water
• •5 g (1 tsp) fine salt, for the dough
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) neutral oil, for the dough and to coat
• •1 whole (1 large) egg, optional, gives a slightly richer, easier-to-pull noodle; many Uzbek cooks omit it

Steps

1. 1 Make the dough: whisk flour and salt in a bowl. Add water (and egg if using) and 1 tbsp oil. Mix to a shaggy mass, then knead on a floured surface 10–12 minutes until smooth, firm and elastic; it should not stick. Coat lightly with oil, cover, and rest 30–45 minutes at room temperature.
2. 2 While the dough rests, prepare the stew base (called kovurma): heat the 60 ml oil in a wide heavy pot or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb in a single layer and sear without stirring for 2–3 minutes to brown, then stir and brown the other side, about 3 minutes more.
3. 3 Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook 4–5 minutes, stirring, until softened and lightly browned at the edges.
4. 4 Add the tomato paste and stir into the meat for 1 minute, then add the grated fresh tomato (or canned crushed). Simmer 5–7 minutes until the tomato darkens and reduces to a thick sauce.
5. 5 Add the bell pepper strips, cumin, red pepper flakes (if using), black pepper and remaining salt. Stir and cook 4–5 minutes; the peppers should stay vibrant and slightly crisp.
6. 6 Pour in 1 litre hot water or broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a steady simmer, cover and cook 45–55 minutes, until the lamb is fork-tender. Stir in the garlic and most of the herbs in the last 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt; the stew should be spoonable, not soupy. Keep warm over low heat.
7. 7 Pull the noodles: divide rested dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each into a 1 cm thick rope on an oiled surface. Wrap two ropes in a figure-of-eight and stretch by rolling outward on the bench with the backs of your hands until the strands are about 2–3 mm thick, lay aside, then stretch again, picking up the strand by its middle and slapping it onto the bench rhythmically to elongate it to arm-span length (a true lagman is roughly 1.5–2 m long). Dust lightly with oil and let rest 5 minutes.
8. 8 Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Working with one strand at a time, coil each noodle loosely (a common home method) and slide into the boiling water; do not crowd the pot. Cook 3–5 minutes until just tender with a slight chew.
9. 9 Drain noodles in a colander, rinse briefly under hot water, and toss with a few drops of oil so they don't clump. Divide among deep bowls.
10. 10 Ladle the lamb stew generously over the noodles so the sauce coats them but the noodles stay distinct. Scatter the reserved herbs over the top. Serve very hot.
11. 11 Doneness cues: lamb should be fork-tender (an internal temperature of about 90 °C / 195 °F in the thickest piece); noodles should be tender yet springy, not mushy; the sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
12. 12 Substitution note: pulling noodles by hand takes practice. In a home kitchen you may substitute store-bought fresh or dried Chinese-style hand-pulled or thick wheat noodles (about 500 g cooked weight); cook them just until al dente before topping with the stew.