Cumin Lamb

Cumin Lamb – ziran yangrou – originates from Xinjiang in northwest China, where Uyghur skewers emit the aroma of cumin and dried chili over glowing coals. In this wok version, thin strips of lamb are stir-fried quickly at very high heat and generously seasoned with whole and ground cumin, dried chili, and spring onions. The result is succulent, smoky, and richly spiced meat with plenty of bite. The most important thing is a scorching hot wok and working quickly so that the lamb is seared without boiling.

• Cuisine: Chinese (Xinjiang)
• Time: 35 minutes (15 min. marinating time)
• Servings: 4 people
• Difficulty: Medium

Instructions

1. Cut 600g of lamb (leg or shoulder) into thin strips against the grain. Toss the meat with 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine, and 1 tsp cornstarch, then marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Lightly toast 1.5 tbsp whole cumin seeds and 4-6 dried chilies in a dry, hot pan until fragrant. Coarsely crush half of the cumin seeds in a mortar, leaving the rest whole.
3. Heat 3 tbsp neutral oil in a wok over very high heat. Fry the lamb in two batches, about 2 minutes per batch, until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside. The lamb should be thoroughly cooked with no pink parts.
4. Leave about 1 tbsp of oil in the wok. Sauté 3 cloves of roughly chopped garlic, the toasted chilies, and both whole and crushed cumin seeds for 20-30 seconds.
5. Return the lamb to the wok along with 1 tsp ground cumin, 0.5-1 tsp chili powder, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, and a pinch of salt. Quickly stir-fry over high heat for about 1 minute.
6. Add 4 spring onions cut into 3-4 cm pieces, and stir for another 30 seconds until just wilted.
7. Serve immediately – ideally with steamed jasmine rice or flatbread.

Tips

• Use a scorching hot wok and fry the meat in batches – otherwise, the lamb will boil instead of browning.
• Place the meat in the freezer for 20 minutes before slicing to make it easier to cut thinly.
• A mixture of whole and ground cumin seeds provides both aroma and strong flavor.
• Adjust the amount of chili to taste – the dish should be richly spiced and slightly smoky.