All About History - Issue 111, 2021_

LAGHMAN

L

aghman is considered the

national dish of the Uyghur

and Dungan ethnic groups. It

was developed thanks to the

cultural exchange that occurred

on the Silk Road and includes a

variety of ingredients that would

have been traded. We do not

know when it was first created,

but it originated from the Xinjian

region in Northwest China.

According to one legend, laghman

was first prepared by three

travelling merchants who met at

a crossroads. They had cooking

equipment and ingredients

between them, so they teamed

up to create laghman. This dish is

popular in Central Asia, China and

Russia, and there are numerous

variations. Hand-pulled noodles

are a signature of this dish, but you

can substitute these with udon or

egg noodles if you wish.

A HEARTY NOODLE SOUP, CENTRAL ASIA, UNKNOWN – PRESENT

01 If you’re making your own noodles, begin by making

the dough. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, eggs

and salt. Gently add in the water a little bit at a time

and mix until a dough forms. Knead the dough for ten

minutes until it is smooth.

02 Wrap the dough in cling film and rest at room

temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. Divide the dough

into three pieces and roll each piece into thick

strands. Coat each one with oil and rest for around

10  to 15 minutes.

03 Take one dough strand and evenly roll it between the

table and the palm of your hand, stretching it so that

it becomes a long ‘rope’. Repeat this process for the

remaining strands.

04 Lightly oil a plate and coil the first strand of dough

into a circle and continue with the remaining pieces

until you have one long, continuous coil. Cover with

cling film and leave to rest while you cook the soup.

05 Heat up some oil in a frying pan or wok and cook your

lamb or beef for 5 to 7 minutes, until browned. Next,

add in the onion, garlic, cumin and tomato paste and

cook until the onion is soft.

06 Add in the tomatoes, peppers and potatoes and

cook  them together for around 4 to 5 minutes. Pour

in the water or beef stock and then reduce to a

simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes are

nice and tender.

07 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Take the

strands of dough from the plate and stretch each one

using your hands until they are thin like shoelaces.

Repeatedly loop one piece of stretched dough around

your hands.

08 Gently hit the middle of this loop against the table

a few times, widening the gap between your hands

as you do so to stretch the noodles and make them

longer. Be warned – this is a tricky technique to get

the hang of, so practice (and a little patience) makes

perfect! Repeat this process with the remaining

dough pieces.

09 Cook your homemade (or pre-made) noodles for

3  to  5 minutes. Drain and divide the noodles into

your  serving bowls. Ladle the soup, meat and

vegetables over the noodles and serve your

piping hot laghman immediately.

METHOD

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Ingredients

For the noodles:

250g plain flour

110ml cold water

1 egg, beaten

Olive oil

Pinch of salt

For the soup:

500ml water or beef stock

200g lamb or beef,

chopped into pieces

3 small potatoes, cubed

3 cloves of garlic,

finely chopped

2 bell peppers, sliced

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

The name ‘laghman’

may derive from the

Chinese word ‘lāmiàn’,

which means hand-

pulled noodles

Did

you know?

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