Lagman - Uzbek Noodle Soup
Please note that the cooking time here is for soup prep and cooking time only. If you are making your own noodles, you must allow extra time for this. This usually takes an average of 1hr 30 mins including resting time.
Equipment
- Uzbek rolling pin (if you are making your own noodles)
Ingredients
Soup
- ¼ kilo Halal lean beef I cut mine in small strips, but I've seen it in this soup in all sizes.
- ½ cup Vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1-2 Onions diced small
- 2 Medium carrots diced into cubes
- 1 Sweet red bell pepper diced into squares
- 2 Large tomatoes peeled & diced
- 1-2 Medium potatoes peeled and diced into cubes
- 1 cup Long green radish red radish can be used too if green is not available (optional)
- 1 cup Green beans optional
- 2-3 Garlic cloves grated, crushed or minced
- 1½ tsp Cumin (ZEERA) crushed or whole
- 1 tsp Coriander Seed crushed
- ½ tsp Black pepper to taste
- 2 tsp Salt to taste
- ½ tsp Sweet paprika
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 ½ pints Water
- Fresh greens such as parsley, dill or spring onions washed & chopped for garnish
Noodle Dough
- 2 Large eggs
- ½ tsp Salt to taste
- However much needed of white flour to form a stiff dough
- Water if needed
Instructions
- For the noodles a stiff dough is prepared from white flour, eggs, and salt; whisk the 2 eggs and add the salt before adding whatever amount is needed of flour to form a stiff dough, you may use some water after this if the dough becomes too stiff.
- Set the dough aside for 30-40 minutes under a plastic bag/clingfilm and top with a tea towel. The dough is then rolled out into a 1.5-2 mm thick sheet with a diameter of not less than 10-15 cm. This is overlapped into layers that are roughly between 4-5 cm wide & piled up using generous sprinkles of flour to prevent sticking & for easy and faster cutting. This was a very useful video for me when I first started:
- The noodles are then sliced as thinly as possible with a sharp knife from one side of the dough to the other. Then stir up gently with your fingers to detach and form the noodles before cooking them separately in boiling salt water. (This is usually done just before serving)
- Drain the noodles and distribute them into the serving bowls before spooning your beef and vegetable soup/stew on the top.
For The Soup
- For the soup, heat the oil in a large pan or Kazan if you have one, it should be very hot before adding the beef strips. Fry and constantly stir and turn until well browned on all sides.
- Add the onions, and spices and continue to stir-fry until the onion is well browned.
- Then add the tomatoes and leave to cook until the tomato is reduced into a saucy pulp.
- When the beef is almost cooked add the diced red bell pepper, potatoes, carrots and garlic, and stir-fry all the vegetables for a few minutes more.
- Add the boiling water and stir into the fried mixture. Lower the heat and leave to cook for a further 20-30 min or until the beef is tender.
- Serve the beef soup generously onto the distributed noodles and garnish with some freshly cut parsley or greens.
Notes
Make sure to cook the soup first before cooking the noodles as the soup is easier to reheat if cooled, and the noodles should be served and eaten straight away.