I'm Making Goulash

[Heresson]

My mother used to make gulasz (goulash, whatever) a lot, and I disliked it. Make something else.

[Harovan]

It was probably made of frogs.

[Heresson]

No, Russians.

[Provost Harrison]

No, burnt ghosts

[Dinner]

Worse. Russian Frogs.

[Japher]

burnt ghosts or russian frogs!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Heresson]

yummy

[Dinner]

My mom used to make goulash using those egg noodles. I don't think I've ever actually had it with dumpings before but that sounds more authentic (or maybe the kosher egg noodles are/were the Jewish tradition which survives in America but got wiped out in Hungary).

Also how large are the cubed beef supposed to be cut? My mother used to always use these huge cubes mainly because she didn't want to have to finely chop them but I'm suspecting that isn't very authentic.

[Dinner]

Burnt ghosts of Russian frogs?

[Japher]

that's what I meant... the r and f are feally close togethef

[Dinner]

I C

[TCO]

Use real (strong) Hungarian paprika. Have someone bring it over. Use largish cut chunks of beef. Lots of onions (they boil down and reduce.)

[Cort Haus]

Yay to large chunks of beef.

[OzzyKP]

Hungarian cooking!!! MMMmmmmm. Great thread!

I'm 100% Hungarian so I grew up on Hungarian food. My mom is an amazing cook. My favorite dish though is Chicken Paprikas. Love it.

A few months ago, when I was sharing an office with another non-profit, they started up a thing were everyone in the office makes lunch for the others on Fridays (a cool idea btw). So I made a vegetarian version of my favorite dish - mushroom paprikas. My mom talked me through the whole thing. I was worried at first, but it turned out really, really good. I documented the whole thing.

First thing was cucumber salad (another delicious Hungarian dish - and easy to make). So I had to peel and then slice up some cucumbers very thin:



Once done, I mixed in a sliced onion, and soaked it all in vinegar and put it in the fridge to set.



On to the paprikas. First had to lube up the pan. Mmmm, butter:



Then I followed my mom's advice and went off the tracks a bit. Throwing in a bunch of mushrooms, tomatos, peppers, and other veggies. Not at all like the recepie I was used to where the sauce is mostly sour cream & paprika. So this didn't at all look right and I was freaking out (and called my mom again):



But I trusted her and gave it time to cook. Once the veggies cooked down, and I added the sour cream & paprika it looked a lot more like I expected:



I even cracked out the apron my cousin brought me when he was visiting the United States last year. I forget what it says, but it has something to do with men cooking and the fire department.



I didn't make any nokedli (Hungarian dumplings) so I just used pasta. It turned out really well. Before I brought it into the office I tried it out on my housemate, she liked it:



They loved it.




The recipe, straight from my mother:



Mushroom Paprikas (Gombos Paprikas)

Sauce
2 lbs Button mushrooms sliced (can buy fresh already sliced)
1/2 stick Salted or Unsalted Butter
1 Medium Onion, chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped (can buy already chopped in a jar in the produce section)
1/2 cupatoes, chopped (buy in can)
1/2 cup Water
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 Heaping Tbsp. Sweet Paprika
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1 bell pepper, chopped (option)

Thickener
1/2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Tbsp. Flour

In large sauce pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute onions until clear, (about 7
minutes) then add tomatoes and peppers. Add seasonings and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add mushrooms. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add water. Cover, bring to
boil. Then lower heat as low as it will go. Cook for about 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
Thicken if desired right before serving. Serve with nokedli or pasta of your choice.

How to thicken sauce:
Melt 3 TBL butter in small sauce pan. Mix in 3 TBP flour and cup of sour cream. When it
forms a paste, remove from heat and mix into sauce thoroughly. Mix until smooth.

Serves 4. Triple or Quad recipe for 12-15 people.



Cucumber Salad (Uborka Salata)

4 cucumbers
Salt to taste
1 onion
black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons water (about)
Fresh sweet paprika to taste
Peel the cucumbers and slice into very thin rounds. Sprinkle with salt and let
stand for 15 minutes. Squeeze out the liquid from the cucumbers. Slice the onion very
thin and mix with cucumbers. Add the salt, pepper , white vinegar, and water to cover
the vegetables. Sprinkle paprika generously on top.

[Cort Haus]

At the Russian restaurant I was raving about earlier, they have two goulash dishes. The Gipsy Latke is the milder, and comes with potato pankakes (Latke), and the Ukrainian Goulash is slightly more spicy, and can be taken with mash or bulgar wheat, which is very heavy, and large appetites only need apply.