Thenthuk

Ingredients

• 300 g plain flour
• 170 ml water
• 0.5 tsp fine salt (for the dough)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for coating the dough
• 350 g lamb or beef, cut into thin strips
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 20 g ginger, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 200 g daikon radish, cut into thin half moons
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1.5 litres water or light stock
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
• 0.5 tsp toasted ground Sichuan pepper
• 100 g spinach or bok choy leaves
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 20 g coriander, chopped

Before you cook

• Mix the flour, 0.5 teaspoon of salt and the water into a firm dough and knead for 6 minutes.
• Rub the dough with 2 tablespoons of oil, cover it and rest for 40 minutes so it becomes stretchy.
• Cut the meat into thin strips across the grain.
• Slice the onion, chop the garlic and ginger, and chop the tomatoes.
• Cut the radish into thin half moons and slice the carrot.

Steps

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over high heat.
2. Add the meat strips and fry for 4 minutes, until well browned.
3. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and fry for 3 minutes.
4. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes, until they break down into a rough sauce.
5. Add the radish and carrot and stir for 1 minute.
6. Pour in the water or stock and bring the pot to a steady boil.
7. Season with the soy sauce, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, black pepper and Sichuan pepper.
8. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes, until the radish is translucent.
9. Roll the rested dough into a rope about 4 centimetres thick, then flatten it to about 1 centimetre.
10. Pull a strip off the flattened dough, stretch it thin between your fingers and tear it into pieces the size of a large stamp, dropping each piece straight into the boiling soup.
11. Keep tearing and dropping until all the dough is in the pot, stirring occasionally so the pieces do not stick.
12. Boil the soup hard for 5 minutes, until the dough pieces float and turn glossy.
13. Stir in the spinach and cook for 1 minute.
14. Taste the broth and add more salt if it needs it.
15. Ladle into deep bowls and finish with the spring onion and coriander.