Hungarian Goulash

[In a really bad Russian accent] Here comrade, put some hairs on your chest with some good old eastern European food. Just like babushka used to make.*

Seriously though, if you ever struggled to grasp the meaning of the word moreish, make yourself a pot of this and thank me later.

*I only say this to annoy my Hungarian friends.

Ingredients:

• Oil/butter for frying
• 600g of diced beef (or a mixture of beef and pork)
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp of paprika
• 1 tsp of spicy paprika
• 1 tsp of ground caraway
• Salt and pepper, about a teaspoon of each
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp of tomato paste
• 1 carrot
• A handful of fresh parsley
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• Water

1. Fry off the beef on a bit of oil or butter (or a mixture of both) in a pan, until it’s browned. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan – you may need to do it in batches. Once done, transfer to a large soup pot.
2. In the same pan (you may need to add some more oil), gloss the onions and transfer them to the soup pot together with the meat.
3. Add paprika, caraway, salt and pepper, and bay leaf. Fry together on low heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly to make sure the spices don’t burn.
4. Add just enough water to cover all the ingredients in the pot, cover and simmer for about an hour – or until the meat is tender.
5. Add tomato paste, garlic, parsley, carrots, potatoes and peppers, and again enough water to cover everything. Bring back to boil, and simmer until potatoes are cooked.
6. Taste and add more spices if necessary.