Goulash? Surely everyone can cook it. There are even family recipes that are as different as night and day and yet each of them tastes the best in the world to its diners. But maybe it’s time to try innovation and use the advice of experienced chefs.
Goulash, which we cook practically from memory, is basically boiled beef, onions and peppers. Just because Hungarian goulash is often talked about, it is obvious where its origin is. From Hungary, or rather from its territory, its very name, which is a combination of the Hungarian word gulya, i.e. a herd of cows, and the Turkish word for army: As.
How about onion chutney? A youtube video by Cakirs will help:
Source: Youtube
Difficult beginnings in the tumult of battle?
At the time when the territory of today’s Budapest was conquered by the troops of the Ottoman Empire, it is said that a simple dish was created that could be easily prepared in one pot. It was good and fed the troops, which was a basic requirement. Since then, of course, the recipe has changed several times, but the basis remains the same. A milder variant refers to the traditional dish of shepherds, where the base of the word remains the same. Whatever its history, there is always room for innovation.
A quality cleat is the basis
Although we can consider goulash as a fairly ordinary dish, we must not neglect several essential conditions for its preparation to be successful. Well, first of all – quality meat is the basis, but it does not mean that we have to buy rear beef. On the contrary: the tastiest will be the goulash made from the kližka, which will be wonderfully cooked and give the resulting dish flavor, strength and a thicker consistency. Do not rush cooking, the meat should just fall apart at the end.
An unexpected ingredient
We probably don’t even need to talk about the basic recipe, it is generally known. We know that the ratio of onion to meat should ideally be balanced, that we mustn’t overdo the meat during basic testing, and so on. But then comes a moment that may literally take many people’s breath away. Chefs often add chutney to a salty dish, even fruit chutney rather than onion chutney.
Why chutney?
Apricot or plum chutney gives goulash delicacy, a sweet undertone and an overall interesting dimension that we probably wouldn’t expect in such a dish. Try adding just a little of this ingredient to begin with, but you’ll soon find that you don’t have to skimp. A portion for four people can contain one, but also two tablespoons. It is added before the end of cooking, when the goulash has the last quarter of an hour on the stove.
Prepare it at home
What exactly is chutney? This thick sauce has its origins in Indian cuisine and is made from fruits, vegetables, sugar, vinegar and spices. Most often we can meet onion, apricot, plum, but also tomato chutney. Boiled and steamed for a few hours, seasoned vegetables or fruit are finally sieved and stored in jars as, for example, preserves. But the detailed recipe for the chutney would be a different, albeit very interesting chapter. There are as many variants as there are extended families in India. And that’s really a lot…
Sources: www.recepty.cz, sportdenik.cz, www.apetitonline.cz
