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Fried lagman in Uzbek style

Uzbek-style fried lagman

A hearty, rich dish of meat, vegetables, and noodles. Uzbek-style fried lagman brings together everything we love: aroma, good looks, and great flavor. Here's a wonderful dish with a thick sauce for a big family. It's served garnished with herbs in a special deep bowl.

UnicornSteak

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Beef

300

Vegetable oil

Noodles (lagman noodles)

200

Onion

Eggplant

0.5

Potatoes

Bell pepper

Carrots

Tomatoes

Cilantro

Parsley

Garlic

Ground coriander

Cumin

Star anise

Paprika

Salt

Ground hot pepper

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 27 % 6 g

Fats 32 % 7 g

Carbohydrates 41 % 9 g

119 kcal

GI: 70 / 30 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make Uzbek-style fried lagman? Gather your ingredients. You can swap the beef for veal or lamb. The more marbled the meat, the juicier and more tender it turns out. Wash the vegetables and meat under running water. I'm using half an eggplant, to my taste. We'll be peeling the tomatoes, so check ahead of time whether the skins slip off easily or whether you'll need to scald them with boiling water — it's best to do that in advance.
Step 2:

Cut the beef into small bite-sized pieces. In a deep non-stick skillet (or a cauldron), heat the oil and fry the beef until golden over high heat.
Step 3:

Lower the heat to medium and add the onion, cut into thin half rings. White or yellow onion both work. Fry until the onion turns translucent.
Step 4:

Meanwhile, peel and cut the vegetables into small cubes: carrot, eggplant, and bell pepper. Mine's a yellow pepper, but red or green will do.
Step 5:

Add the vegetables to the skillet and stir. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
Step 6:

Peel the tomatoes. Mine are ripe summer tomatoes, so the skins slip off very easily. Skipping the tough tomato skin is always a bonus for the tenderness of the finished dish.
Step 7:

Cut the tomatoes into small cubes and add them to the skillet.
Step 8:

Pour in filtered water so it just covers all the ingredients. The exact amount will differ for everyone depending on the size and shape of the pan. Add the spices: paprika, coriander, cumin, and a star of star anise. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then.
Step 9:

Peel the potatoes, cut them into small cubes, and add them to the skillet. Simmer for another 7 minutes, until the potatoes soften.
Step 10:

Grate the garlic on a fine grater and add it to the skillet. By the way, the meaty sauce we're making here is called "vaja."
Step 11:

Then add some finely chopped parsley and cilantro, saving a little to garnish. Simmer for another 3 minutes, until the herbs darken in color. Season with salt and pepper to taste and take the vaja off the heat. Cover it and let it steep until you're ready to serve.
Step 12:

Bring a quart (1 liter) of water to a boil for the lagman. Add the noodles and cook them one minute less than the package directs. It's best to cook the noodles in batches for each serving rather than all at once — fresh is always tastier.
Step 13:

Drain the noodles in a colander and let the water run off, then plate them right away: first a portion of noodles, then the vaja sauce. Don't forget to spoon over some of the sauce if you like it saucy. Garnish the lagman with fresh herbs.

It may seem surprising, but meat, potato, and noodles together in one dish aren't a bit much. Over the long simmer, all of these ingredients and the spices come together into one harmonious whole.
Enjoy!
If you use ready-made spice blends, always check the label. They often already contain salt, so take that into account or you risk over-salting the dish.
Important! The wrong pan can ruin even the best recipe. For everything on choosing the perfect pan for different dishes, see here.
Every oil is good only up to a certain temperature — its smoke point — beyond which it starts to burn and forms toxic compounds, including carcinogens. For how to judge frying temperature, which oil is best for frying, and which to avoid altogether, see the dedicated article.