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Gulyás
HERDSMAN'S DISH!
HUNGARY
Gulyas or more famously goulash, is a hearty stew from Hungary, made with meat chunks, onions, Hungarian paprika and lard. It is one the most traditional dishes of Hungary and a national staple, with many variations across the world.
Like most of the traditional dishes in the world, gulyas has its origin among the common people and is a rather simple dish. The origins of this dish can be traced back as far as the 9th century to the Great Hungarian Plain in the central part of Hungary. The name of goulash comes from the Hungarian word gulyás, which means ‘herdsman’ or ‘cowboy’. As its name suggests, this dish was most likely developed by Hungarian herdsmen, who spent months, sometimes even years on the plains, tending the cattle. For their long journeys, they needed a simple dish, which could fill them and give them strength for the journey. Back in the day, the stew was prepared with a few main ingredients: onion, lard, meat and water. For meat, herdsmen would slaughter weaker cattle, which could not make the journey or use meat from already dead cattle. The ingredients would be then cooked in an iron kettle (bogracs) over an open fire and slowly stewed until all the liquid evaporated. The herdsmen would then dry the leftovers in the sun, pack them into bags made from sheep stomachs and reheat them later by adding some water.
This earlier version of goulash did not include paprika, which is now an indispensable ingredient in this dish. Paprika was introduced in Europe in the 18th century by the Ottoman Empire and Hungarians quickly realized that they can dry the paprika and use it as a spice in many dishes including the gulyas, giving it a very distinguishable flavor.
The popularity of goulash has risen during the 19th century, it found its way into restaurants and cookbooks and was no longer a dish reserved for herdsmen. Through migrations and travels of Hungarians, goulash became popular in many other European countries such as Ukraine, Poland, Yugoslavia, and Austria. But particularly in Austria, the neighboring country of Hungary, goulash became such a popular dish that a Viennese version was created. By adding potatoes and sausages, and having a thicker texture it was then accustomed to the local ingredients and taste.
Hungarian immigrants also introduced goulash to North America in the 19th century, becoming one of the most popular meat dishes in the ‘60s.
Since Gulyas is quite rich and best served warm, it is the ideal dish for the colder seasons like autumn and winter. It is one of the favorite dishes of Christmas markets across central Europe, with many variations such as goulash served in a bread crust.
For our vegan goulash version, we stuck to the traditional recipe, but we substituted beef meat with jackfruit and seitan. So wait no more and try this amazing stew.
RECIPE FOR 4 SERVINGS
// easy peasy // €€€
Preparation: 20 min // Cooking: 90 min // Total: 110 min
INGRIDIENTS
200g seitan, cut in 2cm cubes
200g canned jackfruit
2 large onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 glass of red wein
500 ml vegetable broth
1 Tbsp Hungarian red paprika
1 Tbsp caraway seed
4-5 bay leaves
1 tsp tomato paste
3 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
- Heat vegan butter in a large pot, preferably in a Dutch oven, and add onions. Cook the onions until they begin to brown, for about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the paprika, pepper, and caraway seeds, and cook everything for a few minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burnt paprika.
- Add seitan, jackfruit and garlic, and cook everything for a few minutes, stirring often. *
- Add vegetable broth, red wine, bay leaves and tomato paste, bring everything to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pot and let everything cook for up to an hour. **
- Add more salt and pepper if needed.
- When gulyas is done, remove the bay leaves. Serve warm with potatoes, noodles, or dumplings
- Jó étvágyat!
NOTE!
* You can try other meat substitutes, but we find that seitan and jackfruit have the best texture for replacing the beef meat used in goulash.
** Gulyas can also include vegetables (potatoes, carrots, parsnip, celery root…). If you are making this version of gulyas, add it at this step.
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Keep it Vegan!
Thank you for taking your time and exploring our recipes! We hope that we have inspired you to try out some dishes.