Gulyas

Gulyas, or Goulash, this iconic Hungarian stew has far too many variations to count, and the only thing that really ties them together is the smoky-sweet paprika that gives it its characteristic rich red colour. The stew's name 'Gulyas' means 'Hunter' in Hungarian, a reference to its origins as a herdsman/hunter's meal and it is best made with off-cuts of red meat (like beef or mutton) or game meats (like rabbit) and hearty vegetables like potatoes and carrots. A vegetarian version is also possible with the use of broad beans or kidney beans in place of the meat. Goulash has a lengthly cooking time, with the meat braising in its cooking liqour for upto an hour and half, and thus off cuts and muscular cuts should be used, as they add a wonderful gamey flavour to the stew. 

Another tip to reduce the cooking time is to use a pressure cooker, as it reduces the braising time to a mere 15 minutes. For this Goulash, I've used boneless mutton cubes and smoked paprika, and added a little kashmiri paprika for a bit of heat. The recipe has been adapted from recipe on thehungarydish.com: http://www.thehungarydish.com/the-best-gulyas-recipe, which is an excellent site for traditional Hungarian classics, like Lecso and Slambuc. I've served up the Goulash with plain rice, and it can be served up on a bed of pasta or polenta, or with chunks of crusty bread or a Hungarian pasta called Csipetke.

Ingredients

• 200 g boneless mutton, cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 large tomato, roughly chopped
• 1 medium potato, cubed
• 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds or 1 tbsp caraway seeds, lightly roasted
• 3 cups water (use 5 cups if not using a pressure cooker)
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika (or sweet paprika)
• 2 tsp kashmiri paprika (or hot paprika)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Rub a tsp of salt and the pepper into the mutton and leave aside for at least 30 minutes.
2. Heat a the oil in thick bottomed pot or a cooker bottom, and once hot, add the sliced onions. Add a tsp of water as well, to prevent the onions from browning. Lower the heat and stew the onions for at least 10 minutes, until they turn clear and glassy.
3. Take off the heat and add the paprikas, cumin/caraway seeds and another tsp of water to prevent the paprika from burning and turning bitter. Mix around till the paprika evenly coats the onions, and place back on the heat.
4. Raise the heat to high and add the mutton and garlic. Cook on high till the mutton turns brown and add the water. Stir vigourously and bring the stew to a boil. Once boiling, close the pressure cooker, and once the pressure its pressurised (when its on the verge of whistling or whistles once) lower the heat.
5. Cook on low for around 10 minutes, around 2-3 whistles, and then turn off the heat. Leave the pressure cooker aside and let it de-pressurise and cool naturally, which should take another 6-7 minutes.
6. Once its de-pressurised, remove the lid and check the salt and the consistency of the stew. Make sure to keep it a little under-salted as the excess water in the stew will be burnt away. 
7. The stew should be quite thin and runny, so place back on the heat uncovered and bring it to a boil. Add the potatoes, carrots and tomato and cook on high heat for another 10-12 minutes, until the potatoes are just done (everything else will cook before the potatoes). While cooking the potatoes, keep the stew uncovered until you get the desired consistency, and cover for the remaining time. I like my stews to be quite thick, so I kept it uncovered for the entire cooking time.
8. Take off the heat and serve over an absorbent base, like rice or poleta, or with thick crusty bread.