Living in Beijing has made me develop a severe addiction to 羊肉串 (yángròuchuàn), otherwise known as lamb skewers. The intense aroma of cumin- and chilli- coated lamb on a grill makes me salivate like nothing else. And the heavy Mongolian and Xinjiang influence on Beijing's foodscape means that 羊肉串 is everywhere, on the street, in regular restaurants, in chuan bars.

If you're nowhere near Beijing, or want to satisfy your lamb-and-cumin craving at home without a grill, this stir-fry is the next best thing. Mark Bittman, who writes The Minimalist column in the NY Times' Dining Section, is a pro at translating mouth-watering dishes into simple recipes for home cooks. He based this stir-fry off the same lamb skewers I often dream about. It's a good dish to serve on busy weeknights or hectic dinner parties, because all the prep is done beforehand. Once you're ready to cook, take the lamb out of the fridge, toss it in a hot wok, and you have a mouth-watering stir-fry in about 5 minutes.

To get the most out of this dish, it's imperitive to use fresh cumin seeds. Ground cumin has nowhere near the aroma or bite of just-toasted seeds. For the garnish, Mark Bittman suggests cilantro. I didn't have any cilantro on hand, so I heated up some fresh red chillis in a wok until they're blistered.

Either way, the star of the show is still the lamb, seared until just crisp on the outside but still tender on the inside. The result is like chowing down on a delicious streetside lamb kebab, but in the comfort of your house and maybe even with a nice imported beer to wash it all down.

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Mongolian-Style Lamb Stir-fry
Adapted from Mark Bittman, The New York Times

1 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 to 3 dried red chilli peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced leeks, or scallions to substitute
Optional garnishes: Roasted fresh red chilli peppers or chopped cilantro

Serve with: white rice

Cut lamb into 1/4-inch slices no more than 2 inches long. (Slicing is easier if meat is firmed up in the
freezer for 15 to 45 minutes.) Toast cumin seeds in dry skillet over
medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Toss the lamb with cumin, chili, garlic, soy sauce, a generous dash of salt and pepper. Chill for 10 minutes, or up to 24 hours, to marinate.

When ready to
cook, heat enough oil to coat the bottom of your wok or large skillet. Add lamb, spreading it out to cover bottom of work. Stir-fry undisturbed for 1 or 2 minutes, then cook another 3 minutes, stirring, so meat cooks evenly. Add leeks, stir-fry for another minute. Remove from heat, garnish with optional red chillis or cilantro. Serve immediately with rice on the side.