Cumin and lamb may not be the first ingredients that spring to mind when you think of Chinese food, but this Xinjiang lamb stir fry is superb.
This delicious recipe will take you around 15 minutes to prepare, but it cooks in under 10 minutes and tastes spectacular!
Chinese Xinjiang Stir Fry
When you look at the ingredients for this dish, you stumble across cumin, lamb, red onion, chilli, garlic and ginger, you could be forgiven for thinking that you are heading in an "Indian" direction.
But no, this is a glorious, quick Chinese stir fry that you'll almost certainly not find on the menu of your local takeaway. Which is, quite frankly, very sad!
Now I love Chinese takeaway food, my website is full of dishes that range from chicken chow mein, to egg foo yung and sweet and sour pork balls to special fried rice.
But this Xinjiang lamb and cumin stir fry hits different. The flavours work exceptionally well together, and in many ways it feels very familiar, but also surprising and different.
Alongside a host of ingredients you expect in a curry, Szechuan pepper, Shaoxing wine and soy sauce all deliver flavours that immediately make you think of your local takeaway.
And just like many of my quick stir fry recipes, this dish can be cooked and prepared in well under 30 minutes!
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best cut of lamb to use?
Traditionally, this dish is made with lean bits of lamb leg. I usually buy some lamb leg steaks and trim them up myself. This avoids some of the "fill" that supermarkets slip into packets.
It is spectacularly good with lamb loin, but that is very expensive. Possibly a little too much so for this dish.
Another option is lamb rump if you can find some.
My chillies are "chewy", what have I done wrong?
When th chillies go into the pan at step 9, they need to fry in the oil and go a deeper red/purple"ish" colour. If there is not enough oil in the pan, they will not fry, so do not be afraid to add another splash or two.
What is Shaoxing wine?
It is a type of Chinese cooking wine, and it is wonderful, but you can swap it for any rice wine.
Can I swap Szechuan peppercorns for regular pepper?
No, they are two very different ingredients; Szechuan pepper is not a form of pepper at all, but a dried husk from a berry.
Don't worry about having loads leftover. I love this stuff and use it a lot. Just type Szechuan into the search function below, and you will have loads of tasty ideas!
Can I make this in advance?
No, this dish does not reheat very well at all; the lamb will toughen up and become very chewy!
Serving Suggestions
This simple lamb and cumin Xinjiang stir fry is a dish that cooks quickly, and it needs your attention. As a result, you want a side dish that you can either prepare in advance or one that is very hands-off.
I've gone for some simply cooked jasmine rice in the pictures on this page.
Both egg fried rice and plain chow mein are great ideas. However, I would cook these to completion before starting to cook this dish, then reheat them.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- Wok.
- Stirring, serving and slotted spoons.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Pestle and mortar or spice grinder.
- Mixing and prep bowls.
- A combination of weighing scales and measuring spoons.
Chinese Xinjiang Lamb Stir Fry Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g Diced Lamb Leg 10oz
- 3 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- Coriander (for garnish)
Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing Wine
- 1 teaspoon Cornflour (cornstarch in the US)
- ⅛ teaspoon Sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon MSG
Vegetables:
- 1 Medium Red Onion 150g
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 15 g Ginger ½ thumb sized piece
- 3 Spring Onions
Spices:
- 1 teaspoon Szechuan Peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 12-15 Dried Szechuan Chilli Peppers
Instructions
- Mix together the light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornflour, sugar and MSG in a bowl and mix to combine with one tablespoon of the cooking oil.
- Add the lamb to the mix, stir to coat and set aside
- Top and tail the red onion, cut it in half, peel it and then cut it into 5mm (¼") slices top to bottom.
- Peel the garlic cloves, then slice them as thinly as you can.
- Peel the ginger, then cut it into batons as thinly as you can.
- Finely slice the spring onions.
- Heat a wok over a high heat, toast the Szechuan peppercorns, then grind them in a pestle and mortar.
- Heat a wok over a very high heat, and when it is hot, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, followed by the lamb, stir fry for 2-3 minutes.Then remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pan.
- Reduce the heat under the pan to medium and add the garlic, ginger, cumin seeds and dried chillies, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the red onion, increase the heat to high and stir fry for 1 minute.
- Add the lamb, sprinkle over the ground cumin and Szechuan peppercorns, and toss until combined.
- Pour in the remaining marinade, and stir fry for one minute.
- Add the chopped spring onions, toss to combine and serve with chopped coriander.
