FOODlog #338: Cumin Chili Lamb Pasta

One of my favorite dishes on the new menu at the cafe is the Cumin Lamb Pasta. It's a mainland Chinese inspired dish but the noodles are using parpadalle pasta instead of Chinese pulled noodles.

The prep for this dish takes quite a bit of effort and time to make. First the lamb shoulders need to be roasted in an oven till fall apart tender. I'll write a detailed post on that soon.

Next the chili oil is made with 2 parts to it. The first part is the chili oil base which uses sunflower oil, garlic cloves, ginger, onions, spring onions, star anise, cinnamon, and cumin seeds.

Next, part 2 is a dry base mixture of chili flakes, Korean chili flakes, cumin powder, and white sesame seeds. The oil is cooked until its boiling hot then poured onto the dry mix. This is an amazing chili oil that's easy to make and super worth it.

Another sauce mixture is needed which we call it black sauce. It's a combination of black vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, some MSG, and water.

Now for the stir frying. In a pan, garlic oil goes in together with red peppers, onions, and minced garlic. On high heat, add in the black sauce, 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, the chili oil, and some water. Cook the mixture for 1 minute then add in the pulled lamb shoulder meat into the mix. Next parpadalle pasta that's been precooked is added and cooked in the pan for another 2 minutes.

Serve it up with some spring onions and coriander to garnish and the dish is done. It's tangy, spicy, earthy and full of umami bursting flavor. Absolutely amazing dish that you have to try!