Chutagi

Ingredients

• 6 ozwhole wheat flourfor the noodle dough
• 4¼ cupsWaterfor the broth, plus a little for the dough
• 12⅓ ozLambcut into small cubes; beef also works
• 1Onionlarge, chopped or sliced
• 2Tomatofinely diced, peeled if desired
• 3 clovesGarlicchopped or crushed
• 2Green chilieschopped
• 2 tbspOilfor frying
• 1Potatoeslarge, cubed or quartered
• 6⅓ ozturnipspeeled, diced
• 2½ ozspinachroughly chopped, added at the end; other leafy greens work too
• 1 bunchSpring onionschopped, for garnish
• 1 tspCumintoasted in the fat or crushed into the spice paste
• ½ tspTurmericground
• 1½ tspSaltfor dough and broth
• Black pepperto taste
• ⅔ ozGingersliced (optional)
• 7timut pepper (Sichuan pepper)black seeds removed, crushed into the spice paste (optional)

Method

1. Make the noodle doughFor the noodle dough, mix the whole wheat flour with a little salt and work in just enough water, a bit at a time, to make a firm, smooth dough. Cover it and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
2. Roll out and shape the noodlesRoll the dough out on a floured surface to about 3 mm thick and cut out small circles or rectangles. Pinch each piece together in the middle to make a little bow, or roll it into a small tube, and set the finished noodles aside on a floured surface.
3. Fry the spices and onionHeat the oil or ghee in a large pot and toast the cumin seeds briefly until fragrant. Add the onion and fry until translucent to lightly golden, then add the garlic, green chillies and the ginger, if using, and fry for a moment longer.
4. Brown the meatAdd the lamb or mutton to the pot and brown it well on all sides.
5. Cook down the tomatoesStir in the tomatoes and let them cook down until soft and falling apart. Stir in the turmeric and salt.
6. Simmer until the meat is tenderPour in the water, bring everything to the boil, then cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meat is tender.
7. Cook the potato and turnipsAdd the potato and turnips and cook them in the broth until soft.
8. Cook the noodles in the brothDrop the noodles into the simmering broth and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. If the stew gets too thick, add a splash of water so it stays nice and soupy.
9. Add spinach and serveFinally, stir in the spinach and some of the spring onions and let the spinach wilt briefly. Season with salt and black pepper, ladle into deep bowls while hot and scatter over the rest of the spring onions.

Tips and variations

Beef works well in place of the lamb, and for a vegetarian Chutagi, use cauliflower, potato and peas instead of meat. If you like more heat and spice, pound the garlic, chilli, cumin and timut pepper into a coarse paste and fry that instead, or knead the noodle dough with chilli water. For extra depth, simmer some meat bones in the broth, add carrot and white radish, and season with a little soy sauce. Short on time? Cook the stew in a pressure cooker for about 20 minutes, then add the noodles; you can also pre-cook them separately in salted water with a pinch of turmeric. Bring it to the table fresh and steaming, as the noodles soak up the broth the longer it sits.