Lagman: Hand-Pulled Noodles with Beef and Vegetables
Hand-pulled noodles topped with vaju, a thick beef and vegetable sauce. A complete guide to making real lagman at home.
Lagman came to Uzbekistan from Uyghur cooking and quickly became a national favourite. At its heart are long noodles stretched by hand, topped with a thick meat and vegetable sauce known as vaju.
The secret of hand-pulled noodles
Two things make the dough stretch: a little dissolved bicarbonate of soda and a long rest. The soda makes the dough elastic and an hour under cling film lets the gluten relax. Your first batch may be uneven, which is perfectly normal; by the second or third try your hands will know what to do.
Vegetables for the vaju
- Daikon or green radish gives the sauce a gentle bite.
- Green beans and bell peppers add colour.
- Use fresh tomatoes in summer and tomato paste in winter.
Nutrition
Per serving (≈ 480 g). Approximate values.
How to make it
6 steps · start a timer right inside a step
Make the noodle dough
Knead the flour, salt and water into a stiff dough. Gradually work in the soda solution and knead for another ten minutes. Wrap in cling film and rest for at least an hour so the gluten relaxes and the dough becomes stretchy.
Sear the beef
Get a kazan or wok very hot and quickly fry the beef strips in oil. Do it in two small batches so the meat sears instead of stewing. Add the onion and fry for another 2–3 minutes.
Add the vegetables
Add the radish, beans and peppers and fry for five minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, garlic and spices, then pour in the stock and simmer over medium heat for ten minutes. The vaju should be thick and fragrant.
Pull the noodles
Divide the dough into finger-thick ropes, brush with oil and leave for 15 minutes. Then stretch each rope with both hands, slapping it gently on the worktop, fold it in half and pull again until the noodles are 2–3 mm thick.
Boil the noodles
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the noodles for 3–4 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and toss with a little oil.
Serve
Divide the noodles between deep bowls and ladle plenty of vaju over the top. Scatter with herbs and serve hot, with vinegar and chilli on the table for anyone who wants them.
Cook’s tips
- 1If the dough keeps tearing, brush it with oil and rest it for another 15 minutes.
- 2Chill the beef in the freezer for 20 minutes to make slicing thin strips easier.
- 3Stir a teaspoon of vinegar into the vaju at the end to brighten the flavour.
- 4When pulling the noodles, keep a bowl of oil nearby to coat your hands and the dough strand frequently, which prevents the dough from drying out and sticking to itself as you stretch it.
Serving & storage: Present in deep bowls, ensuring each portion gets a generous ladle of the beef and vegetable sauce over the noodles. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, though it is best to store the noodles and sauce separately to prevent the noodles from becoming mushy upon reheating.
Other styles of lagman
This is classic lagman with a loose vaju. For fried lagman, toss the cooked noodles with the vaju in a hot wok for 2–3 minutes. For soup lagman, double the amount of stock.
The takeaway
Lagman takes patience, especially when it comes to pulling the noodles, but homemade noodles taste nothing like dried pasta. If you are short of time, use ready-made lagman noodles; the vaju will still be delicious.
