This post contains affiliate links.

Hungarian Layered Potatoes Casserole – Rakott krumpli

Hungarian layered potatoes casserole is called rakott krumpli in Hungarian. It is a popular comfort food in Hungarian cuisine. It is quick and tasty and not difficult to make, even your kids can help you. Smoked Hungarian sausage is the star in this one-pot dish of layered potatoes and hard-cooked eggs smothered in sour cream. It makes a good dinner alone or stands as a second course for lunch.

This post contains affiliate links.

Hungarian Vegetable Marrow Stew With Dill- Tökfőzelék

Hungarian vegetable marrow stew with dill is a wonderful summer dish made with shredded vegetable marrow, a good portion of sour cream, onions and dill. Hungarian cuisine is not all about heavy meat dishes with an overdose of paprika, vegetable dishes are also very popular. It’s light and refreshing, an easy vegetarian meal, done in 30 minutes. It can be served at room temperature, warmed, or my favorite — cold. You can make it vegan and gluten free, just use vegetable cream instead of sour cream and gluten free (brown rice) flour.
The vegetable marrow stew goes well with fried egg, fried sausages, also, it is very popular with pork stew. But you can eat it plain as well.

What is “főzelék”?

Főzelék is a special category in Hungarian cuisine, is a type of thick Hungarian vegetable stew or soup, similar to pottage. It is not quite like a soup, and thinner than a stew. It is simply cooked, typically by simmering, not mashing.Főzelék is often eaten as the main course for lunch or like a garnish for different meat courses. Főzelék was typically a home-made food, and was considered as an ordinary type of meal so traditionally it seldom appeared on restaurant menus but in recent years, as part of the culinary revolution in Hungary, főzelék enjoys a revival and it is much more common to be found on menus, there are even places dedicated to offering various főzelék as main course. Főzelék is often eaten as the main course for lunch or like a garnish for different meat courses.

How to thicken it?

There are 2 options to thicken a vegetable stew.
1. Make a roux. Roux is a classic thickening agent for soups and sauces.Roux takes just a few minutes to make, a mixture of equal part of fat (oil, lard, butter) and flour.It is made by stirring the flour into the melted fat and then tasting it for a few minutes so that the floury taste cooks off.

For the Hungarian vegetable marrow stew I do not like to make roux as a thickener. I prefer the 2. option.

2. Mix four and sour cream, whisk it until smooth, temper and add it the the water that you cook the vegetables in.

What kind of flour to use?

I use all purpose flour, you can use any gluten free flour as well, but you have to experience how much to add to thicken the dish perfectly.
Also, if using all purpose flour, you have to know: the differences in American/Canadien and European wheat come down to the amount of gluten and selenium in each.You may need to use more or less flour than the recipe says for the right consistancy.

Can Hungarian vegetable marrow stew be vegan?

Sure, just add som vegetable cream instead if sour cream, it will be perfect.

This post contains affiliate links.

Hungarian Lecsó – Pepper and Tomato Stew

Hungarian Lecsó is a stewed mix of peppers, tomatoes and onions. It is sometimes called “Hungarian ratatouille”.

Lecsó comes in many variations and it can be served on its own, as a side or as a main dish, at any time of the day. It is a healthy breakfast recipe, it might be topped with a fried egg or two or scrambled along with them.

For lunch or dinner, it is usually eaten on its own with bread, or supplemented with a sausage, rice, meat, noodles, etc. In addition, lecsó can be stored in jars and preserved for consumption later in the year, when fresh ingredients are not in season.

It is a nice vegetarian and vegan meal if you serve it without eggs and sausage, but meat lovers prefer cooking it with smoked meat. Quick, easy, healthy recipe to make, done in 30 minutes.

Can I use bell peppers?

Yes, you can use bell peppers. But traditionally, Hungarians make lecsó with yellow wax peppers. In North America, these are often called Hungarian sweet wax peppers or sometimes banana peppers. Use those if you can find them!

What is the best paprika to use?

Paprika is essentially air-dried peppers ground into a fine powder. In Hungary there are eight types of paprika varying in colour and pungency. I prefer using sweet paprika that has a rich red color. I never use smoked or spicy paprika, you can make your dish spicy after you serve, you add as much heat to the dish as you want.

I mainly use paprika from Szeged, but Kalocsa Paprika is also wonderful. Cooking tip: do not burn your paprika, or it becomes bitter.

How to store paprika?

Paprika can go flat if it’s old. Make sure you taste test your paprika before cooking with it in this recipe. Paprika, as it gets older, will lose its aroma and become less pungent. If your paprika doesn’t have a strong flavor or has no smell, it’s no longer good. Store your paprika in an airtight container in a cool, dark spot, either in a spice drawer or the refrigerator.

How do you serve Hungarian Lecsó?

You can have it plain with some fresh white bread. You can pour beaten eggs over and fry together with the pepper stew, this is my favorite version.
You can have it with rice: when you add the peppers to the tomatoes, add some more water, pour uncooked rice in and cook until the rice absorbs the moisture and get tender.

You can make your Lecsó with sliced smoked paprika sausage. Add them to the lecsó just before it is ready, and cook for a few minutes.