Roasted whole lamb is one of the most famous dishes of Xinjiang and usually served at important banquets. Serving a whole Roasted lamb is a magnificent thing cooked in a kind of special oven.
How to make:
1. Slaughter a lamb and remove all the organs from inside.
2. Dub with salt inside and out, and coat with a mixture of eggs, first-class flour, chopped ginger, scallions, pepper and various kinds of special herbs.
3. Place lamb in a Tandur, a kind of special oven, which must then be covered completely with kindling wood.
4. After about an hour in the oven, the lamb becomes golden brown and is ready to take out, cut into small pieces and eaten with refined salt and Zir (a kind of special herb).
Roasted whole lamb is usually prepared for a group of people at special parties. After it is has finished cooking we take the lamb on a special cart and place in front of guests. The most honoured guest at the gathering is then invited to cut the first piece and eat before the rest of the lamb is cut and served around the party.
Many people especially enjoy the skin of the animal (crackling) which is especially crispy and tasty. If you would like to try this Uighur treat whilst in Xinjiang, you can find it in Dongkuruk (Erdaoqiao) Grand Bazaar in Urumqi and Ham baziri (opposite the Eid Kah mosque) in Kashgar. You can order half a kilo or as much as you like.