Cumin Lamb Stir-Fry
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1tablespoon whole cumin seeds
- 2teaspoons Sichuan or regular peppercorns
- 1pound boneless lamb
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 to 8dried red chiles (or substitute ½ teaspoon or more crushed red pepper)
- 1large white onion
- 1bunch (about 8) scallions, trimmed
- 2tablespoons peanut oil
- 3large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1½tablespoons soy sauce
- 1½tablespoons Chinese cooking sherry (Shaoxing rice wine) or dry sherry
- 2cups fresh cilantro, leaves and stems
- Rice, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
939 calories; 86 grams fat; 41 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 35 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 553 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast cumin seeds and peppercorns until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush lightly.
- Step 2
Slice meat across the grain into ½-inch-thick strips. Toss meat with crushed spices, ground cumin, salt and dried chiles.
- Step 3
Peel onion and halve it through the root end. Trim the ends and cut each half lengthwise into ½-inch-thick slices. Cut white and light green parts of scallions into 2-inch lengths. Thinly slice scallion greens; keep separate.
- Step 4
Heat a very large skillet or wok over high heat until screaming hot, about 5 minutes. Add oil. Toss in onion and the scallion bottoms. Cook, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are lightly charred but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Step 5
Add lamb and chiles to skillet. Cook, tossing quickly, until meat begins to brown. Add garlic, soy sauce and sherry. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and lamb is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Toss in onions and scallion bottoms. Remove from heat and mix in cilantro and scallion greens. Serve hot, over rice.
Private Notes
Comments
In China we saw a cook working with Szechuan peppercorns. He cooked them in oil till the oil was thoroughly flavored, then scooped the peppercorns out. The taste can be really strong if you use the whole thing, so that's another option to the recipe above.
I've had this recipe on regular rotation for months. Using ground lamb instead of boneless tastes just as delicious plus you don't have to spend time slicing.
Be sure to add no more of the spices than the recipe calls for--otherwise it'll taste like cumin and hot pepper, but no lamb. Don't overcook the lamb--it'll be chewy. I shave 30 seconds of cooking time off step #4.
The Sichuan pepper is fantastic, well worth the effort to seek out or buy online. I don't have a pestle for grinding, so I use a rolling pin on a cutting board, which works fine.
And for that real Melissa Clark flourish, as the oil is heating add 1-2 anchovy fillets & mash!
This recipe is excellent. A simple way to recreate cumin lamb in Szechuan restaurants. I’ve been eating Szechuan peppercorns for decades and absolutely love them with chilli and cumin. I’ll be putting this on high rotation.
Added summer squash and Chinese cabbage. Delicious.
Honestly, this is pretty good. Double the spices, including the crushed red pepper (Korean koch'u karo works well), triple the oil, cut the cilantro way back, (the dish's source may be Muslim, but isn't Near-Eastern!) and you're on your way to some good eating. For the full restaurant effect, after toasting the cumin and sichuan pepper corns, toast a handful (Yes!) of whole dried, Asian red peppers in the same dry pan to mix in with the scallion greens & sliced serranos. Beef/pork works, too,