Kyrgyz Lagman (Лагман) — Hand-Pulled Noodles with Lamb and Vegetables

• 650 gbread flour
• 8 gfine salt
• 330 mlwarm water
• 45 mlneutral oil (for coating the rested dough)
• 650 ghalal lamb shoulder (trimmed and cut into 2 cm cubes)
• 2large yellow onions (thinly sliced)
• 6 clovegarlic (finely chopped)
• 3carrots (cut into thin batons)
• 2red bell peppers (cut into strips)
• 1daikon radish (about 300 g, peeled and cut into batons)
• 2waxy potatoes (about 350 g total, cut into 2 cm cubes)
• 180 ggreen beans (cut into 4 cm lengths)
• 4ripe tomatoes (about 500 g total, grated or finely chopped)
• 35 gtomato paste
• 2 tspground cumin
• 1.5 tspground coriander
• 1.5 tspsweet paprika
• 0.5 tspcrushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tspfreshly ground black pepper
• 900 mlwater
• 0.5 bunchfresh cilantro (roughly chopped)
• 6 sprigfresh dill (roughly chopped)
• 30 mlrice vinegar

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine the bread flour and 8 g salt in a large bowl, then add 330 ml warm water gradually while mixing with your hand or a sturdy spoon. Knead for 10 minutes until the dough becomes firm, smooth, and elastic rather than sticky.

2. 2

   Shape the dough into a thick log, brush it with 15 ml of the neutral oil, cover it tightly, and let it rest for 30 minutes. This rest relaxes the gluten so the noodles can stretch without tearing.

3. 3

   Cut the rested dough into 18 equal strips and roll each strip into a rope about 25 cm long. Coat the ropes with the remaining 30 ml oil, coil them on a tray, cover them, and rest for another 30 minutes.

4. 4

   While the dough rests, heat 30 ml neutral oil in a kazan, Dutch oven, or wide heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the lamb cubes in a single layer and brown them for 8 minutes, turning until the edges are well colored.

5. 5

   Add the sliced onions and cook for 6 minutes, scraping the browned lamb juices from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, red pepper flakes, 12 g salt, and black pepper, then cook for 1 minute until the spices smell warm and toasted.

6. 6

   Add the carrots, bell peppers, daikon, potatoes, and green beans, then stir for 5 minutes so the vegetables are coated in the spiced fat. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, and cook for 4 minutes until the tomato juices thicken slightly.

7. 7

   Pour in 900 ml water and bring the sauce to a steady simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot partially, and cook for 35 minutes until the lamb is tender and the vegetables are soft but still distinct.

8. 8

   Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil for the noodles. Take one oiled dough rope at a time, stretch it gently between both hands into a long noodle about 6 mm thick, and slap it lightly against the counter if needed to lengthen it evenly.

9. 9

   Boil the pulled noodles in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring gently so they do not stick together. Lift them out with tongs or a spider, rinse briefly under warm water, and divide them among 6 deep bowls.

10. 10

    Stir the rice vinegar, cilantro, and dill into the lamb sauce just before serving. Ladle the hot sauce generously over the noodles, making sure each bowl gets lamb, vegetables, and enough broth to loosen the noodles.