Hungarian Goulash
Veal Hungarian Soups and Stews
To be accurate, the name is gulyasleves, translated as "goulash soup". The result is not quite what we would call a soup, but rather a less reduced stew. Anyway, you eat it with a spoon, so let us say it is still soup 😊 In Hungarian it is pronounced "goo-yash", not "goo-lash". Transylvanians know this. The meat used is beef, but pork works very well too, though it will turn out a bit fattier. Or I have seen a version with lamb.
Since May, I have been perfecting this recipe because it was not up to standard. Yep... I now have standards for food. I thought I made good goulash, but that was until I ate goulash from "Papa la Soni" at the Outdoor Cooking Competition. Remember? Me, the goulash, and a tree stump 😉 That was when I was a bit embarrassed about my goulash, especially since Radu noticed too. Ouch! And I promised myself then that until I make a goulash at least comparable to Sonis, I would not post it. Big ambitions, folks!
And Saturday evening came, my goulash was ready, and when Radu came home I served him a big portion. I was laughing to myself, pretending to bustle around the kitchen but inside I was chanting: "say it is better than Sonis, say it is better than Sonis"... And I hear: "Mmmm, finally it is as good as Sonis!" Is that good or bad? In the end, you decide.
Ingredients
1 kg veal (leg)
3 onions
3 garlic cloves
3 carrots
2 parsley roots
30g sweet paprika (good quality)
3 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground caraway
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoons salt
1 kg potatoes
2 peeled tomatoes (canned)
1 roasted red pepper (or 1 tablespoon sweet pepper paste)
1 level teaspoon harissa (or chili, optional)
5 tablespoons oil
1/2 portion dough for dumplings
Servings: 10
How to prepare hungarian goulash
- Cut the meat into 2cm cubes. Chop the onion. Cut the carrots and parsley root into cubes.
- Add the onion to the hot oil and saute for about 10 minutes until softened.
- Turn the heat to maximum and add the meat cubes, frying them until they change color, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the crushed garlic and leave for another minute on heat.
* I did the steps above in a wide skillet, so the meat has room to brown well, then I transferred everything to a heavy-bottomed pot (a pressure cooker in my case, but without its lid obviously). - Pull the pot off the heat and add the paprika, marjoram, thyme, caraway (I initially put 1/2 teaspoon caraway, then when I added the salt I tasted and added another 1/8 teaspoon) and pepper. Mix well, until the meat is covered with them.
- Add the vegetables and 7 cups of water. Put the pot back on heat and after it starts to boil, turn the heat to low and put the lid on. Let it simmer covered for about 1 1/2 hours (that is how long it took for veal leg). The cooking time can be longer if using beef for example, the important thing is at this step to let everything simmer until the meat is completely done. Add salt after 30 minutes of cooking.
- Blend the tomatoes and roasted pepper in a blender until it becomes a paste, but not too fine, vegetable pieces can remain.
- When the meat is done, add the potatoes peeled and cut into cubes and the tomato and pepper paste (blended above). Continue to simmer, this time without lid for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are done. Taste for salt.
* I also added 1 level teaspoon of harissa now, but you can add chili to taste if you prefer spicy goulash like us; harissa was a purely personal choice and is the only addition not related to the traditional recipe - Meanwhile prepare the dumpling dough following the recipe here (only half a portion!!!). Using the dumpling maker which you place over the goulash pot, pour the dough into the pot. If you do not have this tool, make small dumplings with a teaspoon. Let it boil 2-3 times and then turn off the heat, put the lid on and let it cool down.
- Can be served immediately, but it is better after sitting a few hours. The next day it is even tastier. Serve with peppers in vinegar and fresh bread.
Fry the onion and meat
Add the seasonings
Add vegetables and water
After 1 1/2 hours of cooking
Tomato and roasted pepper paste
Prepare the dumplings
Hungarian Goulash
