Cumin is not a typical spice in mainstream Chinese cookery. It carries with it the aroma of the bazaars of Xinjiang in the far north-west of the country, where ethnic Uyghur Muslims sprinkle it over their lamb kebabs and add it to their stews and polos (the local version of pilafs).The only snag with the Guchengge recipe is that it uses the restaurant technique of pre-frying the beef in a wok full of oil. Here, I’ve reworked the recipe as a more simple stir-fry. The texture isn’t quite as silky as in the original version, but it’s much easier to make and still absolutely delicious, as I hope you’ll agree.