Kyrgyz Lagman Recipe

For the last cooking class, our teacher was going to help us make lagman (лагман) from scratch, noodles and all. Honestly, I had been waiting for this and fearing it all at the same time. Making homemade noodles is no joke, and as I quickly learned, perhaps more practice is necessary for me. I learned some more humility during this class. 

What is lagman? Lagman is this amazingly hearty stew with meat, vegetables, noodles (лапша) and a flavorful, spicy broth. Lagman is traditionally a Uyghur or Dungan dish. These Muslim minorities migrated from northern China to Kyrgyzstan and other parts of Central Asia. Now, lagman can been seen in Central Asia, China, and even Russia. 

So if you have a couple of hours and some friends to help, I totally recommend making some lagman.

Ingredients:

Noodles

8 cups of flour

1 1/2 cups of water water

2-3 eggs

Salt

Stew

1 lb of beef or lamb (we used beef)
3 cups of broth

1 onion

1 green radish

3 carrots

2 red bell peppers (In Kyrgyzstan, they are pickled with salt, but fresh is fine as well.)

1/4 cup of tomato paste
Head of garlic, minced
Vegetable or Sunflower seed oil
Chopped parsley for garnish

For the noodles

1. In a bowl, mix the flour, water and eggs together. 

2. Knead the dough until it is pliable (this will help later on). Then let it sit for 30 minutes or so.

3. Divide the dough into thick strands (see picture below). It is a good idea to oil your hands while working with the dough. Then cover the pieces in oil and let them rest for 10-15 minutes. 

4.  Begin to roll the dough with your palms against the table and stretch the dough. As the noodles get longer hit them against the table, it will help even out the dough. Don't for get to keep the noodles oiled as well.  If a strand is not stretching well, let it rest for a while.  (Don't worry if your noodles don't look nice! I questioned all my cooking abilities while doing this. I've been told it just takes practice)

5. Fold the noodles as they become longer and thinner.

6. In a pot of boil water, cook the noodles  for 5 minutes. Then rinse them in cold water and cover with oil. 

7. When serving, place the pasta first in your serving bowls. 

 

For the stew

1. In the meantime, slice onion (in "half moons"), carrots (matchstick), radish (matchstick), and meat (cubed).

2. First, heat up oil in a large pot. Add the meat, garlic, and onions. Cook until meat is slightly browned.

3.  Then add broth, carrots, radish, peppers, and tomato paste.

4. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes until carrots and radishes are cooked through.

For plating
Place the noodles in the bowl first, followed by the stew and parsley. If you like your lagman spicy, you can make a paste out of chili powder, red pepper, garlic, and oil to add on top. Enjoy!

A Funny, but Sad Story

Yesterday morning I woke up telling myself it would be a good day. The day before I had used the bathroom in its full capacity and had succeeded. I also learned how to get rid of the mosquitoes, which were flying around my room. 

I woke up thinking, “Today, I am going to learn how to use the stove.”  I decided to make a fried egg with basil for breakfast. The first step was to find the basil. 

During my tour of the house, my host sister explained the layout of the garden. When we passed the basil, I remember noting its red/purple qualities which differed from the basil at home. 

I got dressed and walked down stairs, through the archway to the garden. My plan was to pick the leaves I thought looked like basil, smell them, and continue until I found it.

That morning, the grandmother was in the garden collecting apples. I contorted my mouth in the hopes of correctly pronouncing “Peaceful morning” (which sounds like Dee-la Meesh-vee-doe-be-sa ) in Georgian. She smiled and replied. It was a pleasant successful moment that I definitely reveled in, since I haven’t been able to communicate with her. But then it went all wrong.

I bent down to pick a purplely red leaf and she started speaking to me frantically in Georgian.

“Basil? I am looking for basil,” I explained pointing to the plant.  I continued to make a motion to pick the leaf, but she was shouting (now, this is debatable, because Georgians speak very loudly).

My host brother quickly walked around the corner asking what was wrong. I explained that I was looking for basil. He looked at me and then at the grandmother. He told me I was trying to pick a flower leaf instead of basil. He then showed me where the basil was.

I couldn’t help but laugh hysterically. From the grandmother’s point of view, I must seem like the stupid American that doesn’t know what basil is.  Quite frankly, I don’t know what I would do if someone was trying to eat flower leaves.  However, I must admit my moments of laughter were tinged with tears, like a surprise pity party for one.  I could not even pick basil here without someone’s help? There goes my independence, which I so highly value, for a year. Mais c’est la vie, oui?

As soon as I had gathered my leaves, I scurried off to the kitchen, where my host father explained to me in English how to work the gas stove. 

Compared to my TLG friends, I am very lucky to have several host family members, who speak English. I can’t imagine what stories they will have by the end of the year.