How to Make Ningxia Handmade Lamb Minced Noodle Soup

How to Make Ningxia Handmade Lamb Minced Noodle Soup

　　“The Yellow River enriches Ningxia.” The favorable natural environment and abundant resources provide ample material conditions for the development of Ningxia’s Halal cuisine and cooking techniques. At the same time, influenced by Hui ethnic customs and Islam, distinctive ethnic and regional characteristics have formed in dietary habits. Ningxia’s local snacks, whether in ingredient selection or cooking methods, hold a certain representativeness nationwide. For example, the traditional Hui-style snack—lamb minced noodle soup—is both an everyday dish and a must-have when hosting guests in Ningxia. It is one of the most popular local snacks among both locals and visitors.

The authentic method of making Ningxia lamb minced noodle soup is divided into three steps

Step 1: Make the broth

When making the minced meat broth, it’s best to choose lean meat from the hind leg of the sheep, cut into one-centimeter cubes, then stir-fry in a pan. Once the moisture has evaporated, push the lamb aside (don’t take it out, just make some space), add a little sheep fat, pour chili powder into the oil and fry it, then stir-fry again. Next, add salt, scallions, ginger, and mixed flour seasoning, stir-fry, then splash in a little vinegar and continue stir-frying. Then add chopped tomatoes to the pan and keep stir-frying until they turn into a tomato sauce. Add chopped green radish to the pan and stir-fry for a few more minutes. You can add some water (it must be cold water; hot water will turn the meat red). Don’t add too much water at this stage—just enough to slightly cover the meat. Then start stewing. When it’s nearly done, add enough water. Once the pot boils, add an appropriate amount of spinach, Chinese chives, and cilantro. The red is the chili, the green is the vegetables—visually vibrant, and deliciously fragrant, a feast for the eyes and taste buds that really whets the appetite.

Step 2: Roll the noodles

Rolling out the noodles is a skill mastered by women in the kitchen. Use refined white flour. The way the dough is mixed is also very particular—the water must be added little by little, and the dough should be stirred evenly with chopsticks or hands. Be careful not to add too much water, as that would result in “over-hydrated dough,” which doesn’t taste good and lacks elasticity. Then comes the kneading—the dough must be kneaded thoroughly until it’s smooth, elastic, glossy, and of the right firmness. Next, use a long, smooth, reddish jujube wood rolling pin to slowly roll out the dough, ensuring it’s thin and even. When the dough is rolled out into a circle, fold it in half, then in half again, forming a fan shape. From one edge, press down on the dough with one hand while holding the knife in the other to “cut” the noodles. The larger the rolled-out dough, the longer the noodles you’ll get. A skilled hand can cut noodles as thin as paper and fine as silk, achieving the ideal thinness and fineness. These noodles are often eaten on birthdays and are called “longevity noodles.”

Step 3: Cook the noodles

First, add a little salt to the cooking water to make the noodles firmer. Once the water boils, shake the noodles apart and add them to the pot, stirring with chopsticks, then cover with the lid. If you made the dough and rolled the noodles yourself, they’ll be ready to serve after just one boil.

Scoop the noodles into a bowl and pour the delicious lamb minced broth over the top. This is a steaming, flavorful dish—Ningxia’s signature snack: lamb minced noodle soup.