The story
Lagman came to Uzbekistan with the Uyghurs and Dungans of the east, and its name echoes the Chinese lamian — pulled noodles. Watching a cook make it is half the pleasure: the dough is rolled into ropes, oiled, then stretched, swung and slapped against the counter until a single piece becomes a bundle of long, even strands.
It is served two ways: as a thick soup, and as qovurma lagman, where the noodles are fried with the sauce. Khorezm makes its own green version, shivit oshi, with dill worked into the dough.
How it tastes
Springy, chewy noodles and a savoury, lightly spiced sauce — lamb, sweet peppers, tomato, garlic and the gentle bite of green radish. Most people add a spoon of vinegar with chilli at the table.
Ingredients
Serves 4
For the noodles:
- 500 g plain flour
- 1 egg
- About 220 ml water
- 1 tsp salt
- Oil for stretching
For the sauce:
- 400 g lamb or beef, cut into thin strips
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 carrot and 1 small green radish or daikon, cut into sticks
- 2 bell peppers, sliced
- 2 tomatoes, chopped, or 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tsp cumin, salt, pepper and chilli to taste
- 800 ml stock or water
- 3 tbsp oil
Method
- Knead a firm dough from the flour, egg, water and salt. Rest it for 30 minutes, knead again and rest once more.
- Roll the dough into finger-thick ropes, coat them in oil and leave for 20 minutes to relax.
- Stretch each rope by pulling it gently from both ends, slapping it on the counter, until the noodles are long and thin. Boil for 3–4 minutes, then rinse.
- For the sauce, fry the meat in hot oil, then add the onion, carrot and radish and fry for 5 minutes.
- Add the peppers, garlic, tomato and spices, pour in the stock and simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Warm the noodles in hot water, put them in deep bowls and ladle the sauce over.