There are many cuisines of the world.Some of them are distinguished by very exotic dishes, while others will appeal to lovers of simple food. And what is lagman? How to cook it? The recipe and some useful tips are presented below.

What is lagman and how did it appear?

So, what is lagman?This is a dish made of special noodles with a meat and vegetable dressing. Special herbs and spices are always added, which give a specific taste and incredible spicy aroma. The recipe for such a dish can be anything. For example, you can add all sorts of vegetables: eggplants, carrots, onions, bell peppers, radishes, beans, and so on. As for meat, the classic version uses lamb, but it can be replaced with pork, beef, and even chicken or turkey. The noodles are prepared according to a special recipe; they must be thin and long. It is imperative to add spices. Experienced cooks use lazjan for such purposes. This additive is a mixture of garlic, ground, hot, and red pepper, poured with boiling oil. You can also add greens. The final result depends on the cooking features. So, if the gravy is liquid, then lagman can be called a first course. If there are more noodles and less broth, then this dish can most likely be classified as a second course. So lagman is almost universal. Now let's talk in detail about the origin of lagman and its homeland. There are many different opposing opinions and views on this matter. Some believe that this dish comes from Italy, because it is so reminiscent of Italian pasta. Others are sure that the first recipe was invented by the Japanese. But most people are inclined to believe that lagman is a national Uzbek dish, although scientists have found that it still has Chinese roots. There is a legend about the appearance of lagman. So, a long time ago, three people met on the road. They all walked from afar, were very tired and very hungry. But none of them had anything to eat, although each had some ingredients. So, one of them took out flour, meat and butter from his bag, the second had only two chicken eggs and a cauldron, and the third decided to share spices and vegetables. It would seem that these products would not give anything separately and would not be able to satisfy anyone. But one of the three newly-made friends turned out to be a student of a great chef and assured the travelers that they would all have lunch and remain full. And then the enterprising young man kneaded dough from flour and eggs, rolled noodles, boiled them in a cauldron and started on the sauce. First, he fried the meat in oil, then added vegetables and spices, and then combined the dressing with the noodles. This dish was so filling and tasty that a passing Chinese official smelled the aroma. He stopped and asked to treat him. Having tasted the lagman, the traveler offered the cook to cook this dish for noble people of one of the cities of China, promising immunity in return. It is worth telling a little about the name of the dish. It is believed that this word, translated from the Dungan language (the Dungans are a people of Central Asia who came from China), means “stretched dough”.

Basic principles of lagman preparation

Are there any special features to preparing such a dish? Yes, there are. Let's list them.

To prepare a tasty and rich lagman,It is important to choose the right cookware. The most ideal option is a real thick-walled cauldron. Thanks to the thick walls, the entire dish is heated evenly, and the taste qualities are preserved and revealed. But if you do not have a cauldron, you can take a tall cast-iron saucepan with a thick bottom, it will also work. Cast iron ensures proper cooking.

Another important point is preparationnoodles. You can buy it in a store, but it will be quite difficult to find such a product on the shelves of domestic stores, since it is not widespread and in demand. So it is better to cook everything yourself. The noodles will need to be pulled out by hand, which means that the dough should be viscous and elastic and not tear. This can be achieved if you follow some recommendations. For example, experienced cooks take premium wheat flour and the so-called durum (second-grade flour), mixing everything in equal proportions. Other ingredients are also added: water, eggs, salt and soda or vinegar (the classic recipe does not include such an ingredient), which will give the dough a special taste and the consistency necessary for further stretching. The more thoroughly and longer you knead the dough, the easier it will be for you later. The finished dough can be stored in the cold and used later by rolling it into a ball and putting it in the refrigerator.

It is also very important to stretch the noodles correctly.This is quite complicated, so it can take 2-3 hours to make perfectly thin and smooth noodles. And some people don’t succeed at all the first time. Experienced cooks advise to first cut the dough into several pieces and roll them into ropes. It is imperative to grease each rope with oil so that the noodles do not dry out and the dough does not tear. First, start twisting the dough between your palms, then stretch it, lightly hit it on the table (carefully) and fold it in half until you get the desired thickness. If nothing works, buy real spaghetti of the best quality. You need to boil the noodles immediately by throwing them into boiling water. You do not need to stir anything, otherwise the dough will stick together (that’s why the pan should be large). After this, you need to rinse the noodles with cold water, and then grease them with oil.

The last step is preparing the sauce.It can be anything. So improvise, add your favorite vegetables: tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, carrots, onions, etc. Use your favorite type of meat, it is not necessary to stop at beef. You can and even should experiment with spices, so do not be afraid to deviate from the recipe.

How to cook noodles for lagman?

The very first and very important stage of preparation of this dish is noodles. To make it, you will need the following ingredients:

• 3-4 cups of flour,
• 70 ml of vegetable oil,
• 3 chicken eggs,
• 2-2.5 glasses of water,
• 1 teaspoon of salt,
• 1/3 teaspoon of soda.

Let's start cooking.Break the eggs into a bowl, add half or 2/3 teaspoon of salt. After that, you can beat it all with a fork, mixer or whisk until smooth. Now take one and a half glasses of water, warm it up a little and add to the eggs, mix. After that, you can pour in the flour and knead the dough. It is better to do this on the table or another flat and spacious surface. But before kneading, dissolve the remaining salt and soda in the rest of the water and periodically wet your hands in this solution. This way, the dough will not stick to them and will become more viscous. The consistency of the finished dough will be quite dense. When you knead it, cover it with cling film or a regular plastic bag and leave for 20-30 minutes. Beat the dough a little and cut into several pieces. Roll each part into a rope and stretch each sausage separately. To do this, first roll the rope between your palms, then stretch it a little and hit it on the table. Don't forget to constantly grease the noodles with vegetable oil so that they don't tear. The classic recipe calls for long noodles, but don't try to do this, especially if you're making the dish for the first time.

How to cook lagman: several recipes

There are many recipes for cooking lagman. We suggest you learn some of the most successful and common ones. Uzbek classic lagman To prepare it you will need:

• 500 g of noodles,
• 400 grams of lamb,
• 2 onions,
• 2 carrots,
• 150 g turnips,
• 2 pods of chili peppers,
• 1 Bulgarian pepper,
• 2 tomatoes,
• 100 g of string bean,
• 3 cloves garlic,
• salt, greens, pepper to taste,
• vegetable oil.

First, you need to prepare all the ingredients.Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, peel them, and cut them into cubes. Cut the turnip into thin strips. Peel and chop the onion, grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Remove the core and seeds from the bell pepper and cut into strips. Chop the garlic. Cut the chili pepper into small pieces. Chop the lamb into strips. Heat the vegetable oil thoroughly in a cauldron or thick-walled cast-iron pan and fry the meat until lightly golden brown, then add the onion. After 5 minutes, you can add the turnip, beans, and carrots. After 10 minutes, add the tomatoes, chili pepper, and bell pepper to the sauce ingredients, simmer for 5 minutes, then add the garlic, herbs, and seasonings. After 2-3 minutes, pour in water (it should cover the mixture in the cauldron) and simmer the sauce over medium heat for 7-10 minutes, adding salt at the end. Then remove the cauldron from the heat, cover with a lid and leave for 15 minutes. After that, you can combine the sauce with the noodles and serve the lagman. Crimean Tatar Lagman This recipe will allow you to prepare a spicy and piquant dish. So, the list of ingredients:

• 400 g of noodles,
• 300 grams of lamb or beef,
• 2 potatoes,
• 1 medium eggplant,
• 1 Bulgarian pepper,
• 1 tomato,
• 100 g of black radish,
• parsley greens,
• oregano,
• salt to taste,
• seasonings,
• 50-60 g of fat or vegetable oil.

Cut the meat into small cubes and frylard or vegetable oil in a cauldron, then pour in water (so that it completely covers the meat) and cook. After about 5 minutes, you can add peeled and cut into strips potatoes. Peel the radish and grate it on a coarse grater or cut into strips. Cut the eggplant into cubes together with the tomatoes (they must first be peeled by placing them in boiling water for a minute). Cut the pepper into strips. When the meat and potatoes have been boiling for 10 minutes, you can add the remaining vegetables (except for the tomatoes and peppers, add them after 5-7 minutes), but first you will need to fry them in vegetable oil until golden brown. And after 8-10 minutes, you can add herbs, seasonings, and then salt. Turn off the heat, cover the cauldron with a lid and leave for 20 minutes to infuse. Then you can mix the sauce with the boiled noodles. Lagman is ready!

Helpful Tips

Whatever the recipe, remember thatthat the noodles should not be overcooked and too soft, otherwise the lagman will resemble porridge. As for the preparation of the noodle dough, it must stand to gain elasticity. And to make the finished dish piquant, change the recipe, add your favorite spices, experiments are welcome. We can only add that cooking lagman is not an easy task. But if you know the recipe, the basic principles and secrets of cooking, the dish will turn out tasty and satisfying.

Comments

comments