Uzbek Lagman (stir-fried beef and noodles)
This hearty dish features fork-tender beef, colorful vegetables, thick noodles, and a savory, warming broth. It’s my spin on the traditional Uzbek dish and it’s so cozy, it’s bound to become a staple in your home.
My son inspired me to make this dish! He traveled to Central Asia last summer and had plenty of food stories to tell! He spoke very highly of the Uyghur-style noodles he had in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. The noodles are long, chewy, and hand-pulled, and similar in texture to Japanese udon or Italian fettuccine noodles. I used fettuccine here and it was the perfect choice.
Uzbek Lagman is like a cross between a stew and a stir-fry. There are many variations of the dish (especially when cooked at home), but it’s often made with meat (beef or lamb), and vegetables – namely onions, carrots, potatoes, bell peppers, and tomatoes. The broth is seasoned with warming spices like cumin, coriander, paprika, bay leaves, and star anise. So, while it might sound like an exotic dish to make on a weeknight, it’s easy and made with pantry staples.
You can serve this dish as a hearty soup with the noodles in the broth. Or, you can use less broth and serve the stir-fried meat and vegetables over the noodles – more like a stir-fried noodle dish.
Uzbek Lagman (stir-fried beef and noodles)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound beef, such as stewing beef, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, beefsteak or Roma/plum, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups beef broth, or water
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 medium gold potatoes, or 8 small gold potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 carrots, sliced crosswise into rounds
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 8 ounces thick, wide noodles, such as Japanese udon or fettuccine
- 1 green onion, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil a large saucepan or high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender.
- Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the coriander, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the broth (or water) and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, and bell pepper, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until the beef and vegetables are tender.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water to prevent further cooking, and set aside (cover to prevent noodles from drying out).
- Remove the bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the pasta to the pot with the beef and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to heat through. Alternatively, you can serve the meat and vegetables over the hot noodles and add less of the broth.
- Garnish with green onions and serve.