Real Hungarian Goulash Stew
The classic Hungarian dish is very suitable for Israeli taste and temperament. A few ingredients give a rich flavor that will warm you on cold winter evenings.
Preparation time: ½ hour
Cooking time: 3 hours
Level of Difficulty: Medium
Kashrut Type: Meat
The classic Hungarian dish is very suitable for Israeli taste and temperament, and we like to eat it all year round. But it is by far the most suitable for cold winter evenings.
Goulash is one of Hungary’s national foods and perhaps the one most associated with it. It is a thick stew, a type of soup, the main ingredients of which are beef, potatoes, peppers, and lots of paprika.
As with national foods, goulash can also be found in a variety of versions, and every Hungarian grandmother has her own recipe, of course. Most recipes, like ours, include onions, carrots, and a tomato or two – enough to add flavor to the broth, but not to take over.
You can replace some of the water with chicken stock (and then reduce the amount of salt you add), add bay leaf or thyme, parsley root, celery or red wine. Many will argue that caraway is a necessary ingredient in the seasoning, but many in Israel do not like the spice. About one ingredient there is no controversy: paprika!
Goulash can be served with rice, noodles, or other carbohydrates (Hungarians eat it with small bits of dough called “seeds“). But in any case, almost half the volume of the dish is potatoes, so there is more than enough carbohydrate and it can be served as it is – and it is very satisfying. You can add a basket of bread to anyone who likes to soak it in the broth.
INGREDIENTS
Makes 4-6 servings
1½ pounds/600grams beef or shoulder meat (ask the butcher to cut it for goulash)
2 small-medium onions, diced
1 ½ tablespoons sweet paprika (2.5 for brave folks!)
spicy or smoked paprika (optional)
½ teaspoon minced caraway (optional)
pinch of black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 quarts/4 liters of water
½ green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 large peeled tomato, diced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3-4 carrots, sliced (cut large slices in half)
1 pound/½ kg potatoes, cut into large chunks
PREPARATION
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1. Brown the chunks of meat: Heat a little oil in a wide saucepan, and fry over high heat until browned.
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2. Remove the chunks of meat from the pot and set aside. Reduce the fire.
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3. Fry the diced onions until translucent.
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4. Return the meat to the pot, add the black pepper
and paprika (and the caraway if you decide to add), and continue to fry for 2-3 minutes while stirring. -
5. Add the salt, water, peppers, tomato, and tomato paste. Stir.
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6. Add half of the carrots to the pot and half keep aside.
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7. Cover and cook for about 1½ hours. Taste the broth and seasoning.
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8. Cook for an additional hour until the chunks of meat are very soft and crushed relatively easily between fork and spoon (the exact time varies depending on the grade of meat and the cut).
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9. Add the potatoes and the remaining carrots to the pot. Add some liquid if needed, and mix well.
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10. Cook on low heat for about 45 minutes, until the potatoes are soft, and the broth is thick. If necessary, cook a few minutes without the lid to thicken the broth.
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Shuki Galili has been marketing online and has been editing the Humus101 blog for the masses since 2006. He has served in editorial roles and as a reporter for technology and food in the daily press, news sites, and print. He is one of the founding generations of the Internet in Israel and has been involved in the establishment, development and promotion (SEO) of dozens of websites and blogs, many of them related to social activity.
