Hungarian Goulash (Gulyás) is easy to make! A few simple ingredients are transformed into an incredibly flavored soup. The word Gulyás means Herdsman or COWBOY. Simmering soup over the camp fire became a standard herdsman’s dinner in Hungary.
This authentic recipe is from my Hungarian neighbor. It was handed down to her from her grandmother.
Red carrots contain lycopene (another form of carotene), a pigment also found in tomatoes and watermelon.
INSTRUCTIONS
In a cast iron pot brown onion ‘half way’ in the oil (lightly limp). Then add 4 garlic halves. Brown until golden colored.
Add caraway seeds (a must have!) and stir.
Add beef cubes. Stir until beef is brown and caraway seeds are nicely distributed.
Add 2 cups of water
Add: tomatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes paste, Hungarian paprika, salt, black pepper, and or chilli pepper.
Add water so that it covers the beef by 2 inches. Cover the pot and cook at medium heat (barely boiling) for 2 hours. (Note: You can place the dutch oven directly in the oven at low heat: 325°F, 160°C.)
Check after 1 hour and stir. Cook until beef is tender. Approx. 1 more hour.
Add water if the level of the liquid falls an inch.
Put in carrots and cook for 20 mins. 2.5 hours cooking time in total.
Tri-Coloured Carrots (The Yellow Carrots Look Like Potatoes)
Grass Fed Veal Makes A Difference In Flavour
Food Tips
Alternative cooking methods: (1) Pressure cooker: Time: 1 hour 10 min. (2) Slow cooker: Cook Time: 8 hours. Storage: Frig. : 5 days, Freezer: 3 months. OPTIONS: Serve over noodles, mashed potatoes, rice or spatzle.
Hungarian herdsmen enjoying their gulyás soup (left side). Added to the soup were wild onions and caraway that grew on the fields. Paprika was added in the 1800’s.
This makes a very large pot of soup! If you’d like to freeze some of it, do it before adding the carrots (vegetables)!
INGREDIENTS
▢ 3 tbsp + olive oil
▢ 1 large onion
▢ 2 cloves of garlic
▢ 1 tbsp caraway seeds (heaping)
▢ 2 lb of chicken thighs ( veal or pork shoulder ~ cut into one inch cubes)
▢ 2 large tomatoes cut in 1/2 (before serving fish out the skin)
▢ 1 red bell pepper cut in half (before serving fish out the skin)
▢ 1 table spoon Hungarian sweet paprika
▢ 1 inch tomato paste (Alpino)
OPTIONAL: A splash of wine. (Wine tenderizes the meat)
Salt and pepper ~ to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
▢ 3 table spoons or more olive oil (cover bottom of heavy pot)
▢ 1 large onion diced an saute until golden brown add garlic and caraway seeds. ▢ Stir. 2 pounds chicken thighs 6-8 pieces. Place thighs bone side down and side by side Not on top of each other. (The skin will fall off during the cooking and can be lifted out before serving). ( or add cubed veal/pork shoulder)
▢ Add: tomato, red bell pepper, sweet Hungarian Paprika and tomato paste. Add salt and pepper to taste.
▢ Add: water to cover chicken about 1.5 incles above the chicken ( approx 1 litre)
▢ Cover and simmer until chicken is tender about 45 minutes to 1 hour. If it is too watery, simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes
OPTIONAL: Cooking method for large quantities. Prepare all the ingredients as above on top of the stove. Set oven temperature to 350F. Place it in the oven. I use a large covered croissant pot. Check after 1/2 hour. Cook for another 1/2 hour
SERVE: with mashed potatoes or rice or gnocchi
CLASSIC HUNGARIAN dish with a complex and aromatic (paprika) sauce
Hungarian Paprika
A PERFECT WINTER DISH! It multiplies well for entertaining and is always a winner! Hungarian Veal paprikas is a stew. Do not mix it up with Hungarian goulash ( gulyás ). Which is a soup. You will sometimes see Porkolt written, which is the proper Hungarian word for paprikas. VEAL PAPRIKASH is another great dish you will want to add to your comfort food list. This recipe comes from my glamorous and clever neighbour, whose birthplace is Hungary. This ‘RECIPE’ hails from a ‘no recipe’ blend…. like many talented chefs! The ingredients are exactly the way that mother made it – back home in Hungary! Larger quantities are easy to make, when hosting a dinner party. Always a big hit with friends and family. The flavour satisfies many gourmands. My Hungarian neighbor is quite adamant about all the ingredients and the method. A traditional recipe at home in Hungary. A very popular ‘Heart Healthy’ dish!. . RECIPE (one version) INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons or more olive oil 2 cups diced onions 2 1/2 pounds veal shoulder cut into about one inch or bite sized pieces 2 large tomatoes, cut into quarters 3 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika 3 cloves garlic 2 heaping tablespoons caraway seeds (dissolves in the dish) 1 large or 2 small red peppers, cut into chunks Salt and pepper to taste
OPTIONAL: A splash of wine. (Wine tenderizes the meat)
INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a heavy cast iron pot place onions and olive oil. Add more olive oil if necessary so that the onions are covered. Cook over medium heat until the onions are soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. 2. Add the veal and cook for another 5 minutes. 3. Add the other ingredients; tomatoes, paprika, caraway seeds, garlic, and red pepper. [NOTE: after the tomatoes and peppers are cooked, remove the skin by pinching the fruit ~ to avoid floating skin in your dish. You can also peal the outer skin before cooking. Your choice] Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for one hour checking occasionally to make sure it is not boiling. If it is too watery, simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Aromatic, “Health Smart” sauce that is incredibly smooth.
OPTIONAL cooking method : Use an enamelled cast iron pot ( with lid on ) in the oven for large quantities. Mix all the ingredients ln top of the stove. Then place in the oven. Set oven temperature to 350F Check after 1/2 hour. Cook for another 1/2 hour. Ready to plate. Hint: All ovens are different. Adjust accordingly.
Simply Splendid Comfort Food
Serves 8-10. Leftovers are stored in the fridge or freezer or given to friends. A tasty meal to take home for another day! PAPRIKA comes loaded with vitamin A and carotenoids along with vitamin E, iron and lutein. Vitamin A aids in night vision. Carotenoids gives paprika its deep red color plus preventing harmful light rays from damaging the eye tissues. Paprika pairs well with humus (chick peas), carrots, butternut squash and pumpkin soup. Caraway, also known as meridian fennel, or Persian cumin is common in European cooking for breads, cakes and added to pork roast (Germany, Austria and Hungary) and in Moroccan dishes. The flavor is nutty and bittersweet.
FOOD TIP: Use paprika as a salt substitute. You can add paprika to “HOT” roasted potatoes and vegetables, right out of the oven. FUN STORY: I got this idea from a seaside shanty. Hot, curly fries with salt and paprika came out of the kitchen! The “chef” added it for you. (without me asking for paprika) Actually, they were amazing! (If you let the fries cool, even a little bit and add the paprika later ~ it was not the same taste). Oven veggies: add the paprika the last 5 minutes of baking, before you take them out of the oven to heighten the flavour. Do the same with roast chicken, scallops and more. CARAWAY seed comes from the parsley family. Grind it up and add it to your family’s coleslaw or potato salad and falafel (add very little ~ to taste). Caraway spice is a storehouse of minerals, attacking free radicals in you body.
The third and some say, most important influence reached Hungary with the Turkish occupation during the 16th and 17th century: the signature spice of Hungarian cuisine, paprika was brought to the country and changed our dishes forever.
contain lycopene (another form of carotene), a pigment also found in tomatoes and watermelon.
Simply Splendid Food 