[MoneyGuy]

Here’s the goulash recipe I promised. It’s authentic Hungarian provided by the wife of my best friend, who escaped Hungary as an infant in the 1950s. My friend says you won’t find the Hungarian yellow peppers now (they appear in July) in the ethnic shops but can substitute a green pepper.

Goulash recipe

2.5 pounds stewing meat, cut into half-inch cubes
3 medium or 2 large chopped onions
5-6 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 tablespoons paprika powder
2 bay leaves
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium parsley root, sliced (or parsnip)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 sweet yellow peppers
4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into medium-sized cubes
6 cloves minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon whole caraway seeds
Black pepper, salt to taste

Csipetke noodles (pinched) noodles: 1 beaten egg, pinch of salt, white flour (as much as necessary) to create a firm, smooth dough (6-8 tablespoons).

In a large pot, sauté the onion, garlic, bay leaves and caraway seeds on low heat, stirring frequently until translucent. Adding the spices at the beginning gives more fragrance and intense flavour. Add the meat and sauté on medium for 5-8 more minutes, then add paprika powder tomatoes and peppers. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer until the meat is almost tender, adding water if necessary (from me: I’d add beef or veggie stock instead). Stir frequently. Cook 1.5-2 hours. Add the sliced carrots, parsley root and potatoes and enough water (about 2 litres) to fully cover the vegetables. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. Add the csipetke (pinched noodles) when the vegetables are almost done, cooking until the csipetke grows in size and the veggies are tender (5-8 min.).

For the csipetke, in a medium bowl mix the egg, salt and flour, and kneed to a firm, smooth dough. Cover with a plastic wrap and allow it to set (15 minutes). Pinch off small pieces of dough, about the size of a lemon seed. Drop them into the soup and cook 5-8 minutes.