When I moved into my new apartment a few months ago, the first thing I did was take inventory of the cupboards. (The previous tenants had left a decent supply of spices, oils, and condiments.) The second thing I did, even though it was almost 10pm by the time I was done unpacking, was march over the Trader Joe's and buy ground cumin. I had not planned on cooking that night. It just made me sleep better, knowing my kitchen was no longer eggregiously understocked.

Other than sea salt, cumin is the spice that I cannot with without. If I were only allowed two spices on a deserted island (with an otherwise fully-stocked kitchen), and had to choose between cumin and a pepper grinder, the former might win out. Just a whiff of toasted cumin seeds brings back a flood of memories of the best foods I have ever eaten: melty lamb shoulder from a Yemeni restaurant in Brooklyn, late night beef kebabs from a street vendor in Beijing, pilau from an Afghani restaurant near Boston.

On this blog already I have already made a good number of salads and other vegetarian dishes with cumin, but here's one for red meat eaters. Cumin is normally used in a lot of western Chinese cooking, such as that from Xi'an or the Xinjiang province, but periodically shows up in Hunan and Sichuan cooking as well.

Hunan's version of stir-fried beef with cumin combines cumin with the fresh and dried chilis the province is known for. My version is pretty spicy, but manageable (maybe 2 out of 3 chili pepper rating.) Buy the tenderest beef you can find and slice it very thin, for quick stir-frying. And feel free to add more fresh and dried chilis if you can withstand it.

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Spicy Hunan Beef with Cumin

Serves 4

1 pound beef sirloin

Marinade
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt

3 ounces peanut or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
2 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 or 3 bird's eye chilis, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (more if you want spicier)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
2 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Cut the beef against the grain into thin slices (about 1/4-inch thick). Put the slices into a bowl with the marinade ingredients and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Heat the peanut or vegetable oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and stir-fry for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the meat is just cooked. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. With the wok still over medium-high heat, add the ginger, garlic, chopped chilis, chili flakes, and cumin. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds (just until fragrant). Return the beef to the wok and season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Remove from the heat, garnish with scallions, and serve. 

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More cumin-centric recipes:

Black Bean Quinoa Salad with Cherry Tomatoes

Cumin-Rubbed Chicken Wings

Eggplant, Cumin, and Black Bean Salad

Baked Eggs with Saffron and Cumin