Cumin lamb is a Xinjiang (新疆) dish, similar to Yang Rou Chuan (grilled lamb skewers). Like the wildly popular (and delicious) chuan, it has gone beyond Xinjiang to become a popular dish all over China. I’ve seen it most often at authentic Hunan, Sichuan, and Chinese halal restaurants.
It’s really not difficult to see why cumin lamb, flavored with whole cumin seeds, has become such a popular dish. Cumin and lamb is a flavor match made in heaven. Add some hot peppers and plenty of cilantro, and it’s a dish too perfect to ignore. With white rice…I’ll use a phrase that Bill and the girls taught me over the years: Daaaaaaaang.
As a matter of fact, cumin lamb is one of my mother’s favorite dishes, and she usually doesn’t even like lamb. That’s how good it is. Fun fact, most Shanghainese people don’t like lamb—I used to be one of them, I’m ashamed to admit. You will never find any lamb dish in a Shanghainese restaurant.
That said, I really don’t know why that’s the case. According to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), lamb’s benefits include: expelling dampness from the body, warming the blood, and improving your overall Qi. Not surprising, then, that the best time to eat lamb is in the autumn and winter. So as summer comes to a close, what better time to post this recipe?
One last point I want to make: the trick to a good cumin lamb is the lamb fat. Hear me out. Overly lean lamb just tastes tough and unpleasant. The addition of a little extra marbling makes all the difference in the flavor and savory quality of the dish. I used leg of lamb, which ended up being a bit too lean. Most recipes will tell you to use leg of lamb, but I think the shoulder cut is better. Whatever you do, find a way to get some lamb fat in the dish.
To marinate the lamb:
- 1 pound lamb (preferably shoulder), cut into ½-inch by 2-inch pieces
- 3 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oil (optional, if you have a fattier cut of lamb)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
For the rest of the dish:
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 red chili peppers, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan red pepper flakes or chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 2 scallions, chopped
- Large handful of chopped cilantro
- Salt, to taste
Pad lamb dry with paper towel before cutting. Once cut, combine the lamb with the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Set aside and let marinate for 30 minutes.
Once the lamb has been marinated, heat a wok over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds to the wok and dry toast them until fragrant. Turn off the heat, remove the cumin from the wok, and set aside.
Now heat the wok over the highest setting until it starts to smoke. Add two tablespoons of oil to coat the wok, and then immediately add the lamb. Sear the meat until it turns brown and starts to crisp slightly. The high heat will sear the meat, but keep it tender as well.
Now add the cooked cumin seeds, chili, red pepper flakes (or powder), sugar, scallions, cilantro, and salt.
Toss everything together quickly (so that the scallion and cilantro are just wilted), and transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot with plenty of white rice!
Cumin Lamb
Ingredients
To marinate the lamb:
- 1 pound lamb (450g, preferably shoulder, cut into ½-inch by 2-inch pieces)
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oil (optional, if you have a fattier cut of lamb)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
For the rest of the dish:
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 red chili peppers (chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan red pepper flakes (or chili powder)
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 2 scallions (chopped)
- Large handful of chopped cilantro
- Salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Pad lamb dry with paper towel before cutting. Once cut, combine the lamb with the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Set aside and let marinate for 30 minutes.
- Once the lamb has been marinated, heat a wok over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds to the wok and dry toast them until fragrant. Turn off the heat, remove the cumin from the wok, and set aside.
- Now heat the wok over the highest setting until it starts to smoke. Add two tablespoons of oil to coat the wok, and then immediately add the lamb. Sear the meat until it turns brown and starts to crisp slightly. The high heat will sear the meat, but keep it tender as well.
- Now add the cooked cumin seeds, chili, red pepper flakes (or powder), sugar, scallions, cilantro, and salt. Toss everything together quickly (so that the scallion and cilantro are just wilted), and transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot with plenty of white rice!
Nutrition
Lance says
I have been cooking variations of this dish for three years, and think it is close to a classic Xinjiang style. Thirty five years ago I ate many Uighur and Kirghiz dishes in remote places. When there was meat available it was usually mutton—and not young delicious lamb. That meat needed spices. I love this dish because it reminds me of those nights we slaughtered skinned and cooked our mutton, those many years ago. Maybe that’s not a common type of recommendation for a recipe, but this one is authentic to the style and flavors I remember. And yes, I prefer lamb to aged mutton.
In Xinjiang it was more common to eat this with noodles or naan or chapatti. I have done it Chinese style with rice many times, but now usually serve it on noodles with a little bone broth. That is how we did it tonight. Again, delicious.
Often I add a few things to the recipe but it is really good just as recommended above. Again, thanks for your site and recipes.
Lance says
This recipe works with goat meat too. Goat was more common in the Tian Shan and Karakoram regions. The key was fat and lots cumin and peppers. And any aromatic herbs one had.
Judy says
Hi Lance, thank you so much for your lovely comment and affirmations. The background information you described is useful and interesting.
Edward M says
This is an AWESOME recipe. It’s so fast and so easy like most recipes on this website!!
When I first made this, I thought it was missing just a little something – some acidity. And I added a splash of Chinese black vinegar right after I added the rest of the ingredients in step 4, and boy does that tie everything else up amazingly. Hope anyone that reads this gives it a try!
Judy says
Thank you so much for sharing your cooking tip, Edward.
Lance says
I agree. I always add a little chinkiang vinegar to this dish. The vinegar balances the hot spice and touch of sugar. This is the case in many hot spicy dishes.
Emma says
Hello. From the UK. I love this site and this recipe is excellent. Should you ever come to the UK, then I can recommend The Silk Road, Camberwell, SE5. It’s not the greatest part of London but they serve very similar food to your website. Cash only. Thanks again for this excellent website!
Judy says
Haha…thank you, Emma, I will remember to bring a lot of pounds :-)
Eric says
What kind of red chile peppers should I use here? Are they the dried peppers? Or fresh? Do I want the super hot thai peppers, or something milder?
I’ve got a rack of lamb rib chops I’m going to cook tonight. Maybe not orthodox, but it looks like this would be a nice way to prepare those.
Judy says
Hi Eric, you should try this spice mix with your rib chops. Spice them, then pan-fry or grill them. Hope you like my recommendation!
Vanessa says
What are the tools to cook cumin lanb?
Judy says
Not certain about your question, Vanessa. Can you elaborate?
Emma says
Could you please do the cumin lamb ribs?
Judy says
Ok, Emma!