| COUNTRY | HUNGARY |
| Dishes | Goulash: traditional + vegan |
| Time | 1.5 hrs |
| Effort | 6/10 |
| Rough cost | £5 |
| COUNTRY | HUNGARY |
| Capital | Budapest |
| Population | 9,730,000 (91st largest) |
| Land mass | 93,030 km2 (108th largest) |
| Languages | Hungarian |
| Religions | 54% Christianity |
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Hungary is a land-locked Central European country composed mainly of ethnic Hungarians and a Romani minority. The nation has a rich historical past dating back to the 9th century AD and the Christian kingdom of that time. In the 20th century, Hungary became a satellite state of the Soviet Union and suffered turmoil during the years of conflict. Now Hungary is developed country with a ‘very high’ HDI and a high-income economy.
15.8 million international tourists are drawn to Hungary every year, and the cuisine definitely plays a part in the attraction. Hungarian food is often deliciously flavoured with paprika, and contains staple ingredients like meat, cream, dumplings, pepper, wine, and fruits. To note, Hungary also has a massive wine scene, which produces some amazing vintages!
We cooked one of the most classic Hungarian dishes, Goulash – a delicious one-pot wonder! Cooking it on an open-fire (ideally in a traditional Eastern European cooking pot ‘kotlich’) was such a fun thing to do and the goulash was delicious. Bee made a vegan version full of meaty-red-wine flavours, which was just as good. Serve the goulash with csipetke (small dumplings) or fresh bread / grains.
RECIPES
Classic Hungarian Goulash
INGREDIENTS
- 600g beef shin/ shoulder cut into 2-3cm cubes
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 parsnip, diced
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 3 medium potatoes, chopped
- 1 tbsp Hungarian paprika
- 1 tsp ground caraway
- 1 bay leaf
- salt + pepper to taste
- water to gauge
METHOD
- On your open fire pit, get a good strong fire going and then let it die a bit. Put a heavy bottomed pan in the centre of the hot coals and add a little oil into the bottom.
- Brown the onions and add in the paprika, stirring with a wooden spoon. Then add the beef, garlic, and caraway, mixing all the while. Add the bay leaves and enough water to cover the beef. Put the lid on and leave the meat to cook for an hour and a half or so.
- At this stage, give everything a good mix and add in the carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers. Taste the mixture and season with salt + pepper. If the mixture is a bit thick, add some more water at this stage.
- Put the lid back on and cook for an extra 30 mins. Take the lid off, stir, and cook for a little longer until the potatoes are fully soft.
- Take the pot out of the fire carefully and allow it cool slightly. Then serve with csipteke which are little dumplings cooked in the sauce 5 minutes before eating the goulash – and ENJOY!
Vegan Goulash
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
- 2 red bell peppers, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 1/2 cups veg broth
- 4 tbsp Hungarian Paprika
- salt + pepper to taste
- 60 mls red wine
- 8 small potatoes, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1 can tinned tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, for SPICE (optional)
METHOD
- Heat some oil in a large pan on a medium heat and add the onion, peppers, garlic, 1 cup of broth and 1/2 tsp of salt. When the liquid begins to bubble, cook for a further 8 minutes until the veggies are tender. Most of the broth should have evaporated by now.
- Add in the wine and paprika and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Then add in the potatoes, tomatoes, pepper, another 1/2 tsp of salt and the another 1 1/2 cup of broth. Stir it well and turn up the heat to high. When the pot boils, cover with the lid and lower the heat to medium. Cook for a further 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Taste and add more seasoning if necessary. ENJOY!
Köszönöm and see you in Iceland! M + B x
Internoshnal Grubtrotters 