When I said my body was craving all of the Asian flavors after Thanksgiving, I wasn’t lying. So here’s another Asian inspired recipe, and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you. These Instant Pot Cumin Lamb Noodles with Sichuan Chili Crisp have quickly become a family favorite. Even my MIL who is very sensitive to spice (and my three year old who just likes to yell out SPICY!) loved them, so don’t let the Sichuan name scare you.

While Sichuan cooking is typically associated with atomic-level spicy food, the peppercorns themselves are not spicy. They are floral, fruity, and citrusy, much like a pink peppercorn, but the thing that really sets them apart, is the tingly and numbing sensation they leave in your mouth. When paired with fiery chili peppers, ma la is achieved, a perfect balance of numbing (ma) and spicy (la). The numbing keeps you coming back for spicy bite, after spicy bite.

Most of the spice in this dish comes from the Sichuan chili crisp, which in my honest opinion, makes the dish. The chili crisp is an adaptation of this Bon Appetit recipe- where I’ve chosen to scale down the heat and add Sichuan peppercorns for an extra layer of fun. This is an addictive, umami-packed, chili oil with crispy shallots and garlic, and a nice dose of that ma la I’ve been talking about, but nothing too overwhelming. This dish is all about the different layers of heat, and it’s the perfect condiment for the cumin lamb noodles.

The cumin lamb noodles come together with ease using an Instant Pot, giving you tender, mouth watering lamb in under an hour. The meat has been seasoned with loads of freshly ground cumin, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes, and pressure cooked in a garlic ginger, soy sauce, which later turns into the sauce for your noodles. I’ve left the spiciness of the cumin lamb noodles up to you. 1/2 tsp in the spice rub and a 1/2 tsp in the sauce makes for a medium level spice, so adjust to your taste. I’ve used Chinese lo mein as my noodle of choice, but feel free to use your favorite Asian noodle here.

The last component to the dish is the cumin peanut topping, which adds even more cumin flavor and crunch to the dish. I know what you’re thinking, this recipe has too many steps, but before you swear off this amazing recipe before even trying, please know that most of the elements can be made in advance. The Sichuan chili crisp can be made up to a month in ahead, and the cumin peanuts the day before, so you really don’t have to make that many things at once if you don’t want to. And if you do make everything the same day, all the toppings can be made in the amount of time it takes to cook the lamb. You could even make a double batch of the cumin lamb and freeze half so you have some readily available for another meal*. Am I selling you on this yet?! I promise you it will be worth your time and effort.

Serve the noodles with my EASIEST! DISH! EVER!, smashed sesame cucumbers! An ice cold beer wouldn’t hurt either. So join me on this trip to ma la land, it will be sure to leave you buzzing.

Instant Pot Cumin Lamb Noodles with Sichuan Chili Crisp

Ingredients:

Sichuan Chili Crisp

1/4 C ginger, finely minced

3 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

6 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp sugar

1/3 C shallot, thinly sliced

1/3 C garlic, thinly sliced

2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, stems and seeds removed

3/4 C vegetable oil

Cumin Lamb Noodles

2 lbs boneless leg of lamb, cut into 2” pieces

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp + 3 tsp freshly ground cumin

1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

pepper

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 C soy sauce

1 1/2 C water

1/3 C sherry vinegar

3 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp garlic, grated

1 Tbsp ginger, grated

1/2 tsp sesame oil

4 Tbsp cornstarch

1 lb Chinese egg noodles, such as lo mein

1 bunch green onions, sliced

Cumin Peanuts

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp cumin seed

1/2 C unsalted roasted peanuts

pinch of salt

Make the Sichuan chili crisp. In a small bowl combine the minced ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir to combine and set aside. Bring 3/4 C vegetable oil, shallots, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorns to a simmer in a frying pan, over medium to medium low heat. Maintain simmer, adjusting the heat if needed, for approximately 20 minutes until the shallots and garlic have turned a pale golden brown. If they start to brown too quickly, turn down the heat. Strain the garlic, shallots, and Sichuan peppercorns from the oil over the bowl containing the ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, and soy mixture. Let the garlic and shallots cool in the strainer to crisp up before adding into the chili oil. Store in an airtight container.

Place lamb pieces in a large bowl. In a small bowl combine kosher salt, garlic powder, 1 Tbsp ground cumin, and 1/4-1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flake. Sprinkle spice mixture over the lamb, and toss to coat evenly.

Heat 3 Tbsp vegetable oil in the Instant Pot on sauté mode. Sear the lamb in batches, cooking 2 minutes per side, until a golden brown crust forms. Set aside on a plate. Deglaze the pot by adding the soy sauce, 1 C water, and sherry vinegar, scraping up the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add 3 tsp of ground cumin, 3 tsp sugar, garlic, ginger, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (if you want to add more heat), and toasted sesame oil. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.

Turn the sauté mode off and place seared lamb back into the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and make sure valve is set to sealing. Using the manual or pressure cook function, set timer to 45 minutes.

While the lamb is cooking, make the cumin peanuts. In a frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil over medium heat. Add cumin seed and peanuts, and cook until the cumin is fragrant and the peanuts have turned golden brown. Transfer nuts to a small bowl and season with a small pinch of salt. Let cool and set aside.

When the time is upon the Instant Pot, quick release the pressure valve. Using a slotted spoon transfer the meat to a large bowl and shred with two forks, leaving a few larger chunks of meat.

Cook noodles to package directions, and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside while you make the sauce.

In a small cup combine cornstarch and 1/2 C cold water. Stir until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add cornstarch slurry to the Instant Pot, and turn on sauté mode. Bring sauce up to a boil to thicken the sauce. Once the sauce has thickened, add the shredded lamb and cooked noodles back to the pot. Toss until the noodles and meat are completely coated in the sauce.

To serve, top the noodles with the cumin peanuts, sliced green onions, and Sichuan chili crisp.

*Note: If you go for the double batch freezing half option , I would freeze the cooked lamb meat separately from the sauce, and freeze the sauce prior to thickening with cornstarch.

**And for all you lamb haters out there, or if you just want to use a cheaper cut of meat, beef stewing meat can be substituted.