Classic Lagman Master Class

On Saturday, I went with several of my colleagues to Vostok-Zapad, a local Kyrgyz restaurant for a cooking class.  We were there to learn how to make Classic Lagman.  It is a very traditional dish where you make homemade noodles and then a sort of beef (or lamb) stew to put over the top.  Noodles have been a part of Central Asian culture for centuries.  The chef who was our teacher remarked that Lagman is the grandmother of Italian pasta.  And she is correct.  It is believed that Marco Polo and others who traveled via the Silk Road hundreds of years ago, brought pasta back from China and Central Asia to Italy and Europe.  Despite the challenges of rolling out the lagman, with some help, we were able to create a delicious Kyrgyz specialty.

The wonderful chef of Vostok-Zapad showing us how to roll the lagman noodles.

Our efforts at rolling Lagman.

Taking the rolled lagman, bringing it to the kitchen, and putting it in the boiling water.

Removing the lagman from the water for cooling.

Cooking the spicy stew (beef, vegetable, and spices) that goes over the lagman.

Dishing up the stew and putting it over the lagman noodles.

The delicious finished product:  Classic Lagman