Goulash is a traditional Hungarian dish. Originating as a simple, hearty food for shepherds and hunters, it has become the pride of the national cuisine. Like every traditional dish, goulash has many variations. Among culinary experts, the debate continues whether goulash is a soup or a stew, only one thing unites both versions - the dish should be very thick and abundantly seasoned with paprika.
Homemade goulash soup
For a flavored goulash soup you will need:
- 1 kilogram of beef steaks;
- 2 tablespoons of wheat flour;
- vegetable oil;
- 2 heads of onions;
- 4 carrots;
- 2 sticks of celery;
- 1 red bell pepper;
- 5 cloves of garlic;
- 4 tablespoons dried sweet Hungarian paprika;
- 2 tablespoons of cumin;
- 60 grams of tomato puree;
- 3 bay leaves;
- 2 liters of strong beef broth;
- 4 potatoes;
- salt and freshly ground black pepper;
- sour cream and chopped parsley for garnish.
Choose medium to low starch potatoes for your soup.
Rinse the meat, cut the films and cut into long, thin pieces. In a large bowl, combine the flour with a teaspoon of salt and the same amount of regular black pepper. Dip the beef in the flour mixture.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a deep frying pan and fry the beef in small batches until brown. Put the finished meat in a bowl and cover with foil. Peel the onions and carrots. Cut the onions and carrots into cubes. Cut the stem off the pepper, remove the seeds and chop the pulp into small squares. Cut into thin slices across the celery. Heat two to three tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan. Saute vegetables over low heat, cook for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Add meat, paprika, cumin, tomato puree and minced garlic. Stir well, wait until a distinct spice aroma appears and pour in the beef broth.
Simmer the goulash for 1 ½ hours over low heat. Add the diced potatoes and bay leaf half an hour before cooking. Before serving, check the soup for a balance of seasonings, salt and pepper as needed. Serve with sour cream and parsley.
Classic Hungarian goulash is served with a chipette. They are made from flour, eggs and salt, then pinch off small pieces from the dough and boiled in soup.
Stew goulash with sauerkraut
Goulash can be prepared not only from beef, but also from pork, lamb, game. Some recipes include legumes, cabbage, and even small pasta. Make a thick pork goulash stew with sauerkraut. You will need:
- 250 grams of bacon;
- 1 head of onion;
- 700 grams of pork pulp;
- 2 tomatoes;
- 1 green bell pepper;
- 1 tablespoon of paprika;
- 900 grams of sauerkraut;
- 1 bay leaf;
- ½ teaspoon of cumin;
- 200 ml sour cream;
- 1 tablespoon flour.
Goulash with sauerkraut is called Sekey-style goulash.
Cut the bacon into strips. Fry in a deep saucepan in vegetable oil until golden brown. Add the onions, chopped into small cubes, and saute until translucent. Rinse the pork, dry and also cut into cubes. Place in a saucepan, stir, cover and cook for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, chop the tomatoes and peppers. Remove the seeds and stalk from the pepper first. Add vegetables to the meat, season with pepper and pour in as much boiled warm water as needed so that all foods are covered with liquid. Simmer the goulash over low heat for 30-40 minutes.
Squeeze and rinse the sauerkraut. Add it along with bay leaves and caraway seeds to the goulash, cover and simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Mix sour cream with flour and thicken the dish with the resulting sauce. Simmer for about 10 more minutes, remove the bay leaf and serve.
