Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Cumin Lamb Noodles
Wide noodles are good company for lamb with plenty of cumin and chili oil. There are warm toasted spices in every mouthful, with cilantro adding freshness against the rich meat.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 18 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Lamb
- Cuisine
- Chinese · Asian
- Cooking method
- Stir fry
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes
- Dish type
- Noodles
A few quick notes
1. Get the noodles ready first
Have the noodle dough prepared, or the packaged noodles ready to cook, before you start the lamb. The stir fry is quick, and the noodles need to be cooked right after the lamb is done.
2. Toast the whole spices
The cumin, Sichuan peppercorns, and coriander go into a dry pan until fragrant and just starting to pop. Grind them only partway so the spice mix still has a bit of texture.
3. Let the lamb sear
Spread the lamb out in the hot pan and give it a short, undisturbed sear before stirring. A little pink inside is fine at this stage, since it keeps cooking as the sauce comes together.
Get to know the ingredients
Wide noodles work best here
Hand-pulled noodles are the first choice, but wide wheat noodles are also listed for this dish. Either way, cooked noodles are divided into bowls before the lamb and sauce go on top.
Use a well-marbled lamb cut
The lamb should be thinly sliced against the grain, from a well-marbled cut such as loin or shoulder. That helps the quick sear stay tender instead of turning tough.
Chili oil can be adjusted
Use homemade chili oil in the sauce, with more to taste at the end. If the full amount feels like a lot, start with less and add more later.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 13 steps completeMake room for Cumin Lamb Noodles
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
Spoon the lamb and sauce over the bowls of noodles while everything is hot. At the table, add extra chili oil, Chinkiang vinegar, or soy sauce to suit each bowl.
A little more help as you go
Keep the pan hot
The oil should be just beginning to smoke before the lamb goes in. That high heat helps the slices brown quickly, which matters because the onions and chilies only get a brief stir fry later.
Scrape up the browned bits
After the spice mix coats everything, pour in the sauce and scrape the bottom of the pan. Those browned bits are part of the flavor, and the liquid helps pull them into the sauce.
A few questions you might have
Can I use pre-ground spices instead of whole spices?
Yes. Pre-ground spices will be less fragrant, so you may want to increase each one by 1 teaspoon. Skip the toasting step and briefly stir-fry the spices before adding the sauce.
Why add cornstarch to the lamb?
The cornstarch is mixed in after the lamb is seasoned so the slices are fully coated before marinating. That coating helps the lamb sear and catch the sauce in the pan.
Should the garlic and ginger go in before the lamb?
No, they’re added on top of the lamb after it’s spread in the hot pan. They cook as the lamb browns, and the next step has the aromatics turning golden along with the meat.
Do I need to cook the hand-pulled noodles for long?
No. Once the water is boiling, the stretched hand-pulled noodles cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Packaged noodles are different, so follow the instructions on the package.
Why move the lamb to a plate before cooking the noodles?
The recipe turns off the heat, stirs in the cilantro, then transfers the lamb to a big plate so it stops cooking. That keeps the lamb from sitting in the hot pan while the noodles finish.
Any more cooking tips?
You will need about 2/3 batch of the hand-pulled noodles for this dish if you like an intensive result (like the restaurant version). But I recommend making the whole batch so you will be sure to have enough noodles, and maybe some leftovers. You can use pre-ground spices but you may want to increase the amount by 1 teaspoon each as they will be less fragrant. If you do, skip step 2 and when you add the spices in step 6, stir fry for 10-30 seconds, until the spices are fragrant, before adding the sauce. If 1/2 cup chili oil sounds like too much to you, use 1/4 cup in the cooking and add more later if needed.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: omnivorescookbook.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
