Kitchen Recipe Collection
Xinjiang Cumin Lamb (Zi Ran Yang Rou)
A bold, aromatic stir-fry from the Muslim regions of Northwestern China. Thin slices of lamb are wok-tossed with a heavy coating of toasted cumin, chili flakes, and onions.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 500g boneless lamb shoulder or leg, sliced very thinly
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- 3 tbsp whole cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp chili flakes
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
Equipment
- Wok or large cast-iron skillet
Instructions
- 1
Marinate Lamb
Toss the thinly sliced lamb with the soy sauce and Shaoxing wine. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- 2
Toast Cumin
In a dry wok over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds for 1 minute until fragrant. (You can crush half of them in a mortar for more flavor).
- 3
Heat Oil
Turn the heat to high. Add 2 tbsp of oil to the wok.
- 4
Sear Lamb
Add the marinated lamb in one layer. Sear undisturbed for 1 minute to get a brown crust.
- 5
Stir-fry Lamb
Toss the lamb rapidly until just cooked through. Remove it from the wok and leave the rendered fat.
- 6
Sauté Onions
Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil. Toss in the sliced onions.
- 7
Cook Onions
Stir-fry the onions until they soften slightly but still have a crunch (about 2 minutes).
- 8
Add Aromatics
Add the minced garlic and ginger, tossing for 30 seconds.
- 9
Return Lamb
Throw the seared lamb back into the wok with the onions.
- 10
Add Spices
Sprinkle the massive amount of toasted cumin, chili flakes, and salt over the meat.
- 11
Final Toss
Toss everything together over maximum heat for 30 seconds so the dry spices toast in the oil and coat the meat completely.
- 12
Serve
Turn off the heat. Fold in the fresh cilantro and serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
- This is a 'dry' stir-fry. There is no wet sauce or cornstarch slurry. The meat should be coated only in the dry spice rub and rendered fat.
- Slicing the lamb while it is semi-frozen makes it much easier to get paper-thin slices.
Variations
- Toothpick Lamb: A famous banquet presentation where small cubes of cumin lamb are fried on individual toothpicks.
Nutrition Estimate
450 calories · 30g protein · 8g carbs · 32g fat · 3g fiber per serving
