Description
Enjoy bold, restaurant-style cumin lamb noodles with hand-pulled wheat noodles, tender marinated lamb, and a fragrant chili oil sauce. This classic Chinese street food dish is packed with aromatic spices, garlic, ginger, and fresh cilantro, creating a flavor explosion in every bite!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Noodles
- 1 batch homemade hand-pulled noodles (or wide wheat noodles) (*See Notes)
Spice Mix
- 2 tbsp whole cumin seeds
- 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tsp whole coriander seeds
Meat & Marinade
- 1 lb (454 g) lamb (thinly sliced against the grain; loin or shoulder)
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Sauce
- 1/2 cup homemade chili oil (or to taste) (*See Notes)
- 3 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
- 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 4 tsp light soy sauce
- 4 tsp dark soy sauce
Stir Fry
- 1 tbsp peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-inch (5 cm) ginger, minced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 hot green chili, sliced
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped (about 1 heaping cup loosely packed)
Instructions
Prep the Spices & Marinade
- Toast the spices: Heat cumin, Sichuan peppercorns, and coriander in a dry pan over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until fragrant. Grind to a coarse powder using a mortar & pestle, spice grinder, or heavy pan.
- Marinate the lamb: In a bowl, combine lamb, Shaoxing wine, salt, oil, and 2 tsp of the spice mix. Add cornstarch and mix well. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
Cook the Lamb Sauce
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat until smoking. Add the marinated lamb in a single layer. Let sear without stirring for 30 seconds to 1 minute until browned.
- Add garlic and ginger on top. Stir-fry until lamb is mostly browned but slightly pink inside.
- Add red onion and green chili and stir-fry for 10–20 seconds.
- Add the spice mix, stirring to coat the lamb evenly.
- Pour in the sauce, scraping the pan to lift any browned bits. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
- Turn off heat and stir in chopped cilantro. Transfer to a plate.
Boil the Noodles
- If using hand-pulled noodles, stretch and boil them for 1–2 minutes.
- If using packaged noodles, cook according to package instructions. Drain well.
Serve
- Divide noodles into 4 bowls. Top with cumin lamb and sauce.
- Adjust seasoning with extra chili oil, vinegar, or soy sauce to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
- Hand-Pulled Noodles: If making your own, prepare the dough in advance. Alternatively, use store-bought wheat noodles.
- Chili Oil Substitute: If you don’t have homemade chili oil, mix red pepper flakes, sesame oil, and garlic for a quick alternative.
- Lamb Alternatives: Swap lamb for beef or chicken if preferred.
- Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 600 kcal
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 900
- Carbohydrates: 70g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 80mg