Norin

About This Recipe

Norin is one of Uzbekistan's oldest and most ceremonially important dishes — fine hand-rolled noodles piled with shredded horse meat (or beef) and a rich, clear meat broth poured over at the table. The dish is prepared for the most important occasions: weddings, funerals, and the spring New Year celebration of Navruz. The noodles are rolled paper-thin, stacked and cut into fine strands with extraordinary skill by Uzbek cooks. The combination of silky noodles and tender braised meat in clear broth is deceptively simple and profoundly satisfying.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 400 gplain flour
• 200 mlwarm water
• 2eggs
• 1 tspsalt
• 800 gbeef or horse meat(bone-in, or use beef shank)
• 2 largeonions(one halved for broth, one thinly sliced for garnish)
• 2 mediumcarrots
• 1 tspblack peppercorns
• 2bay leaves
• 1 tspsalt(for broth)
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 2 tbspfresh parsley or dill(chopped, to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make broth

   Place meat, halved onion, carrots, peppercorns and bay leaves in a large pot. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, skim foam. Simmer covered 1.5–2 hours until meat is very tender. Strain broth and reserve. Shred meat finely by hand.

2. 2

   Make noodle dough

   Beat eggs with water and salt. Mix into flour. Knead 10 minutes into a smooth, stiff dough. Rest 30 minutes covered.

3. 3

   Roll noodles

   Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece paper-thin on a lightly floured surface. Stack the rolled sheets, dusting between with flour. Roll up the stack and cut into very fine strands, 2–3mm wide. Shake loose.

4. 4

   Fry onion

   Thinly slice remaining onion. Fry in oil until deep golden-brown. Set aside.

5. 5

   Cook noodles

   Cook noodles in boiling salted water for 3–4 minutes until tender. Drain.

6. 6

   Assemble

   Pile noodles in bowls. Top with shredded meat and fried onion rings. Ladle hot broth over the top. Garnish with parsley.

Variations

• •

  Use beef shank if horse meat is unavailable — the flavour and technique are nearly identical.

• •

  Add a pinch of turmeric to the broth for a golden colour.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Broth and meat refrigerate for 4 days. Noodles are best made fresh; they can be dried and stored at room temperature for 2 days.

Frequently Asked Questions