About this Dish
Uzbekistan's great noodle dish — hand-pulled wheat noodles served with a stew of lamb, vegetables and tomatoes. The noodle pulling is a performance — the dough stretched and spun until long, thin and elastic. Lagman reflects Uzbekistan's position on the Silk Road, combining Central Asian, Chinese and Persian influences into something entirely its own.
IngredientsServes 4
🌾Strong bread flour, 400g
🧂Salt, 1 tsp plus extra for stretching
🥩Lamb shoulder, 500g cut into 3cm chunks
🧅Onions, 2 large sliced into half-moons
🫑Bell peppers, 2 diced (red and green)
🍅Ripe tomatoes, 4 large roughly chopped
🥕Carrots, 2 medium cut into thin batons
🧄Garlic, 6 cloves roughly chopped
🫙Ground cumin, coriander and paprika, 1 tsp each
🌿Fresh dill and parsley, a large handful roughly chopped
Method
1
Make the noodle dough by mixing flour and 1 tsp salt with about 200ml warm water until a shaggy dough forms, then knead firmly for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for at least 1 hour — this rest is non-negotiable for stretchy noodles.2
Divide the rested dough into ropes about the thickness of your thumb, oil your hands and the ropes generously with vegetable oil, then coil them on an oiled plate and rest another 20 minutes. To pull the noodles, take one rope, hold each end and gently stretch, swing and fold repeatedly until long thin noodles form — don't rush it, let the dough do the work.3
Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over high heat and brown the lamb chunks in batches until deeply golden on all sides, then remove and set aside. In the same oil, fry the onions until golden, add the garlic, spices and a big pinch of salt, stir for one minute until fragrant.4
Add the tomatoes, peppers and carrots to the pot, stir everything together and return the lamb. Pour over 600ml of water or light stock, bring to a boil then reduce to a steady simmer for 45 minutes until the lamb is tender and the sauce has thickened into a rich, glossy stew.5
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil and cook the pulled noodles in batches for 2 to 3 minutes until just tender — fresh hand-pulled noodles cook fast so watch them carefully. Drain and toss with a little oil to prevent sticking.6
To serve, pile noodles into deep bowls, ladle the lamb stew generously over the top and finish with a shower of fresh dill and parsley. Lagman is meant to be hearty and abundant, so don't be shy with the sauce.7
Divide the noodles between deep bowls, ladle the lamb and vegetable stew generously over the top, and finish with a big handful of fresh coriander and dill.User Reviews
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