Cumin Beef
Stir-fried beef with cumin, chilli, and onion.
Ingredients
- 400 g Beef flank steak
- 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
- 1 Onion
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Neutral oil
- 5 Dried chilies (optional)
Method
- Slice the beef thin and toss with the cornstarch; slice the onion and garlic.
- Sear the beef hard in the hot oil until browned, then set aside.
- Toast the cumin seeds and dried chili until fragrant, fry the onion and garlic until softened, then return the beef and add the soy, tossing to coat.
- Serve with rice.
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About Cumin Beef
Cumin beef, or ziran niurou, is a Northern Chinese and Xinjiang-influenced stir-fry built around one dominant aromatic: whole cumin seed, toasted until its warm, smoky perfume takes over the dish. It belongs to the tradition of Muslim-Chinese cooking, where cumin and dried chili season lamb and beef far more than the ginger-and-scallion palette of the south. Thin-sliced flank steak carries the flavor, and a light cornstarch coating is what separates a good version from a chewy one — it velvets the meat so it stays tender through a hard sear.
The eating experience is dry-fried rather than saucy: browned, faintly charred beef edged with fried onion, the heat of dried chilies, and cumin clinging to every strand. A short splash of light soy is the only real seasoning liquid, so the flavor reads deep and savory rather than gravied. It comes together in about twenty minutes over high heat, which makes it a genuine weeknight main, and it wants nothing more than a bowl of plain steamed rice to soak up the spice. Searing the beef separately, then returning it only at the end, keeps the meat crisp instead of steaming in the pan.
Cumin Beef: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Cumin Beef?
A serving has about 612 calories — 44.6g protein, 18.5g carbs, 41.6g fat, 3.4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 44.6g of protein, roughly 29% of its calories.
Is Cumin Beef gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Light soy sauce. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
How long does Cumin Beef take to make?
About 22 minutes start to finish, but only around 16 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Cumin Beef?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out dried chilies — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Cumin Beef make?
This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.