Uyghur Laghman Vegetable Noodles

Ingredients

• 10 oz thick wheat noodles or hand-pulled noodles
• 2 bell peppers, cut into strips
• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 ripe tomatoes, diced, plus 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1 cup long beans or green beans
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Salt and black pepper

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a wok over the highest heat until it shimmers and almost smokes.
2. Add the onion and peppers and stir-fry for 3 minutes, so their edges char but they keep their bite. Laghman sauce is built fast over fierce heat, not stewed slowly.
3. Add the garlic, cumin seeds, coriander, and chili flakes for 30 seconds, until the cumin crackles and smells strongly toasted.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and fry it for 2 minutes, until it darkens from red to brick.
5. Add the diced tomatoes and the beans and cook for 5 minutes, pressing the tomatoes down, until they collapse and the oil separates.
6. Pour in the broth and soy sauce and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough to cling to a noodle rather than pool beneath it.
7. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water until just tender, then drain them without rinsing; the surface starch helps the sauce grip.
8. Divide the hot noodles between bowls, spoon the sauce over, and finish with the cilantro.

Allergen note: Contains gluten and soy.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.