Steppe-style fried noodles steamed over a mutton and vegetable braise — Mongolia’s one-pan answer to a cold night.

Where does Tsuivan come from?

Tsuivan is a Mongolian dish from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Can Tsuivan be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Tsuivan recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Tsuivan take to make?

About 60 minutes total (30 minutes prep, 30 minutes cooking), serving 4.

Tsuivan — a Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia recipe

Name: Tsuivan
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mongolian
Ingredients: 1 lb mutton or beef, thin strips; 2.5 cups all-purpose flour (for hand-cut noodles); 2 carrots, cut in batons; 2 cups cabbage, sliced; 1 bell pepper, sliced; 1 onion, sliced; 3 cloves garlic; 4 tbsp neutral oil; as needed water + salt + black pepper

Asia → 🇲🇳 Mongolia → Ulaanbaatar

Tsuivan

Mongolian · medium · serves 4

prep 30 min · cook 30 min

~609 cal · 35g protein · 39g carbs · 35g fat (estimated, per serving)

🍽️

Pan of fried noodles with meat, carrots, and peppers

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

Tsuivan is ger-stove cooking at its cleverest: hand-cut noodles steam directly over the simmering meat, then everything is tossed together so the noodles carry the gravy. Ulaanbaatar canteens serve it daily to a nation that knows its winters.

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Make it yours

Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 4 —

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1 lb mutton or beef, thin strips

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2.5 cups all-purpose flour (for hand-cut noodles)

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2 carrots, cut in batons

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2 cups cabbage, sliced

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1 bell pepper, sliced

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1 onion, sliced

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3 cloves garlic

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4 tbsp neutral oil

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as needed water + salt + black pepper

Instructions

1

Knead flour, a pinch of salt, and water into a firm dough. Roll thin, oil the surface, and slice into wide ribbons.

2

Brown the meat (or portobello) hard in oil; add onion, garlic, carrots, cabbage, and pepper for 3 minutes.

3

Add a cup of water and lay the noodle ribbons on top — do not stir. Cover tight and steam 12 minutes.

4

Toss everything together over high heat 2 minutes so the noodles fry lightly in the gravy.

5

Season boldly with black pepper and serve straight from the pan, steppe-style.

Ulaanbaatar canteen standard.

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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

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Ulaanbaatar. The world’s coldest capital, warmed by fried noodles.

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Mongolia. Steppe cooking: meat, flour, fire, and not much else needed.

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Asia. From street-cart woks to slow monastery kitchens.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

👩‍🍳

Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →