Chengdu Lamb originated as a dish served in Uyghur restaurants in the capital of Sichuan. It is now fairly popular in Sichuan restaurants throughout the U.S. Since I love lamb, I had to make it. Hope you enjoy my version.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lamb, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 Tbs Shaoxing wine
- 5 Tbs peanut or canola oil
- 1 large white or yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 scallions, cut diagonally into 1-inch piece
- 6-8 Chinese dried red chili peppers (whole, or cut in half for more heat)
- 1 Tbs Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 tsp Doubanjiang (Sichuan Broadbean Chili Paste †-See note below for GF)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Sauce
- 1 Tbs Shaoxing wine
- 1 1/2 Tbs Gluten Free Tamari Soy Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Chinese 5-Spice powder
- 2 tsp Tapioca starch
- Handful of cilantro sprigs for garnish
Add 1 Tbs Shaoxing wine to the lamb and set aside. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small jar and set aside. Add 2 Tbs oil to a wok and sauté the chopped onion until well softened and slightly caramelized. Scrape the onions out into a bowl and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the wok over medium heat. When the oil is hot add the chilis, cumin seeds, Sichuan pepper, and Doubanjiang. Stir fry briefly until fragrant. Add the garlic and stir fry 1 minute. Increase heat to high and stir fry the lamb the until rare. Add the scallions, onions, and ground cumin, and stir fry a bit more. Mix the sauce ingredients well, add to the wok and toss to coat.
Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.
† NB – Doubanjiang is a signature flavor in many authentic Sichuan dishes. Traditionally, it’s made from fermented broad beans, chilis, and spices. You can purchase it at a Chinese market, but I’ve never found a Gluten Free version. For those who are really ambitious, you can find a recipe for the authentic version here: https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/doubanjiang/ Just use rice flour in place of the wheat flour and it will work fine. Be forewarned that it is a major process! I mean MONTHS of process. You can also make a cheater/quickie version using the recipe below.
Easy Gluten Free Doubanjiang Chili Paste Substitute
- 1/2 cup Chinese Chili Paste (choose one without garlic)
- 3 Tbs coarsely ground Ancho Chili
- 1/4 cup Preserved Salted Black Beans
- 1 Tbs Gluten Free Tamari
- 1/8 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
- 1/8 tsp ground Sichuan Pepper
- a pinch of ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
Soak the preserved black beans in warm water for 5 minutes and drain. Crush them with a spoon to mostly, but not completely, break them up. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Put it into a clean jar. Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight to allow thew flavors to mix. It keeps virtually indefinitely in the refrigerator. Just pour a thin layer of canola oil on top.
Uncompromising Flavors 