Description
Enjoy restaurant-quality cumin lamb noodles at home with tender lamb slices tossed in a flavorful chili oil sauce, served over handmade hand-pulled noodles or wide wheat noodles.
Ingredients
Scale
Noodles:
- 1 batch homemade hand-pulled noodles (or substitute with wide wheat noodles)
Spice Blend:
- 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
Lamb & Marinade:
- 1 lb lamb, thinly sliced against the grain (choose a well-marbled cut like loin or shoulder)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon peanut or vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Sauce:
- 1/2 cup homemade chili oil (plus extra to taste) (see note 3)
- 3 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar
- 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 4 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons dark soy sauce
For Stir-Frying:
- 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 hot green chili, sliced
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1 heaping cup loosely packed)
Instructions
- Prepare the noodles:
- If you’re making hand-pulled noodles from scratch, have your dough ready before you start cooking the lamb. Bring a large pot of water to a boil so it’s ready to cook the noodles as soon as the lamb is done.
- Toast and grind spices:
- Heat the cumin seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, and coriander seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until the spices are aromatic and start popping, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and grind them coarsely using a mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or even a sturdy pan.
- Marinate the lamb:
- In a bowl, combine the sliced lamb with Shaoxing wine, salt, oil, and 2 teaspoons of the freshly ground spice mix. Toss well to coat evenly. Add cornstarch and mix by hand until all slices are covered. Let the lamb marinate for 15 minutes.
- Cook the lamb and aromatics:
- Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Spread the marinated lamb in a single layer, separating slices with tongs or chopsticks to avoid clumping. Add minced garlic and ginger on top. Let the lamb sear undisturbed for 30 seconds to 1 minute until browned on the bottom.
- Stir occasionally, cooking until the lamb is browned on most sides and the garlic and ginger turn golden. It’s okay if the lamb is still a bit pink inside.
- Add veggies and spices:
- Toss in the sliced red onion and green chili, stir-frying briefly for 10-20 seconds. Sprinkle in the remaining spice mix and stir to coat everything evenly.
- Finish the sauce:
- Pour the chili oil, Chinkiang vinegar, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce into the pan. Scrape the bottom to lift any caramelized bits, then stir-fry everything together for another 30 seconds.
- Turn off the heat and fold in the chopped cilantro. Transfer the lamb mixture to a serving plate to prevent overcooking.
- Cook the noodles:
- Drop your hand-pulled noodles into boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes until tender. If using store-bought noodles, follow the package instructions. Drain and divide noodles into 4 serving bowls.
- Serve:
- Spoon the spiced lamb and sauce generously over the noodles. Adjust with extra chili oil, vinegar, or soy sauce to suit your taste. Dig in and enjoy!
Notes
Ingredient Notes & Tips
- For a restaurant-style experience, use about 2/3 of a hand-pulled noodle batch per serving, but making a full batch ensures plenty and leftovers.
- If you don’t have whole spices, ground versions can work but use about 1 teaspoon extra of each spice for stronger flavor. Skip to adding spices directly during stir-fry and toast for 10-30 seconds before adding sauce to boost aroma.
- If 1/2 cup chili oil feels too oily, start with 1/4 cup in the stir-fry and add more at the table for a customized heat level.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dinner
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 531 kcal
- Sugar: 6.5 g
- Sodium: 946 mg
- Fat: 27.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.6 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg