Lagman or Laghman - Uzbek? Noodles

[weinoo]

With a friend, I took a trip out to Brighton/Sheepshead Bay last week. Said trip included lunch. At Varenichnaya.

 

I think they may have upped their game since my last visit some 5 - 9 years ago.

 

Skewers of both pork and lamb - nicely cooked, nicely properly seasoned.  

 

Pelmeni (veal) and vareniki (mushroom/potato) - just great. I now have 50 of each in my freezer, though slightly different fillings.

 

But the thing that got me, that haunted me, the dish that I must make, was this...

 

 

Known here as Lagman A La Uzbekski, known and served in other places much differently (my research suggested) than at Varenichnaya, it was wonderful on a cold day. The soup itself, rich and delicious, with a nice hint of star anise fennel (?), tender beef, bell peppers, and I don't know about potatoes, but maybe a little turnip or rutabaga. The noodle within? In true cross cultural fashion, actually bucatini, blanched and shocked prior and added to the soup at the last minute. But again, cooked properly - they were still very al dente. I'd go back for this alone.

 

As mentioned above, with any cross cultural dish, many variations of lagman/laghman exist; variations in ingredients and plating, variations in noodle, etc. Evidently, the traditional noodles are hand-pulled. 

 

https://silkroadchef...aghman-noodles/

 

https://valentinascorner.com/uzbek-lagman/

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zR5aLXkqog

 

As always, Net Cost Market is still a fascinating place.

 

Anyone ever make this dish at home?

 

 

[liuzhou]

The name seems to be connected to the Chinese 拉面 (lā miàn meaning "pulled noodles"), from which we also get 'ramen'. The dish is, I believe more Uyghur than Uzbeki.

But although I've happily eaten it, I've never cooked it.

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

The dish is, I believe more Uyghur than Uzbeki.

 

Yes!  Though very popular and made well by Bukharan jewish people, from the Emirate of Bukhara, which was an Uzbek state.

[Hassouni]

4 hours ago, liuzhou said:

The name seems to be connected to the Chinese 拉面 (lā miàn meaning "pulled noodles"), from which we also get 'ramen'. The dish is, I believe more Uyghur than Uzbeki.

But although I've happily eaten it, I've never cooked it.

 

Indeed coming from lamian. Uzbeks and Uyghurs are very closely related people though - their languages are very similar (both in the Karluk subfamily of Turkic languages), as is their food.

 

Uyghur laghman tends to be drier when I've had it, I can't remember what it was like at the Uzbek restaurants I've been to since it was so long ago, but I don't recall there being much difference. Lots of cumin!