Hui Muslim Lamb and Cumin Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• For the marinade
• 500 g lamb leg or shoulder, sliced thinly against the grain
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 pinch bicarbonate of soda, tenderises tougher cuts
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp neutral oil
• For the stir-fry
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, high smoke-point
• 4–6 dried red chillies, whole or roughly broken
• 1 tbsp ground cumin, added during cooking
• 4 spring onions, cut into 4 cm lengths
• 1 medium onion, sliced; optional, for sweetness
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste

Method

1. 1
   Combine the thinly sliced lamb with the marinade cumin, bicarbonate of soda, soy sauce, and oil. Mix thoroughly so every surface is coated. Rest for 20 minutes at room temperature. The lamb should look lightly glossy and slightly relaxed in texture.
2. 2
   Set the wok over the highest possible flame and heat until it begins to smoke. Add the oil and swirl to coat. This is where the dish lives or dies: the wok must be at maximum temperature before any ingredient enters — a cold or merely warm wok will stew the lamb rather than sear it. The oil should shimmer and begin to smoke within seconds of contact.
3. 3
   Add the dried chillies and, if using, the sliced onion. Toss constantly for no more than 20 seconds, until the chillies darken slightly and release their fragrance.
4. 4
   Add the marinated lamb in a single layer if the wok allows. Move it constantly and rapidly — the objective is even contact with the wok surface, not resting. Cook for 45–60 seconds, until the lamb has lost its raw colour on all sides and the edges show the first signs of char.
5. 5
   Scatter in the cooking cumin, spring onion lengths, and salt. Continue to toss at full speed for a further 20–30 seconds. The dish is done when the lamb is just cooked through, the spring onion has softened only at its edges, and the wok carries a visible haze of cumin-scented smoke — the wok-breath char that defines the technique. Total cooking time must not exceed 2 minutes.