I have made Hungarian Goulash before and it was delicious but I really wanted to add a few ingredients that are not so traditional. The result was a meltingly tender beef and mushroom stew with oven roasted spiced pumpkin. The pumpkin took this dish to another level as the sweetness really complimented the spices in the stew. Topped with sour cream, dill pickle and a smattering of parsley, this was a perfect winter meal.
A slow cooker could definitely be used for this dish. Brown your meat first for extra flavour, halve the amount of stock and add an extra tablespoon of tomato paste to thicken. Cook for 6 hours on low.
Prep time: 30 Minutes Cooking time: 3 Hours $$ Medium Budget
Serves 4-5
2tbs of oil for frying
800gm of gravy beef cut into 3cm chunks
1 large brown onion, halved and sliced top to bottom
3 cloves of garlic finely minced
250gm of Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
1 tbs of caraway seeds
1 tbs of sweet paprika
1/2 cup of dry red wine
1 cup of beef stock
2 x 400gm tins of diced tomatoes
2 tbs of tomato paste
2 fresh bay leaves
1 tsp of sugar
Sea salt and cracked pepper
4 tbs of Sour cream
2 dill pickles, finely chopped
1/2 cup of flat leaf parsley, finely shredded
For the Pumpkin:
1/2 a Jap pumpkin, sliced into 8 wedges, skin removed
Olive oil for drizzling
1 tbs of sweet paprika
Sea salt and pepper
Heat a large, oven proof pan and add a little oil. Season the beef with salt and pepper and fry in batches until golden. Remove the beef from the pan and add a little more oil if needed. Lightly fry the onion until soft and then add the garlic. Fry for a minute or until fragrant and then add the caraway seeds, paprika and bay leaves. Stir until aromatic and then pour in the wine and stock. Use a wooden spoon to scrape all the flavour from the bottom of the pan and allow to simmer for 5 minutes before adding the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and the sliced mushrooms. Stir to combine and then place the beef back in the pan. Season with a little salt and pepper and cover with a sheet of baking paper and a tight fitting lid. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for approximately 2 hours, stirring occasionally until the beef is meltingly tender.
Pre heat the oven to 200°C. Place the pumpkin in a lined baking tray and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle over the paprika and season with salt and pepper before tossing with your hands so that the pumpkin pieces are evenly coated in the paprika. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
While the pumpkin is cooking, remove the lid from the stew and allow the sauce to reduce on a low simmer.
To serve, divide the roasted pumpkin between 4 serving bowls and ladle over the stew. Place a dollop of sour cream on top and scatter over the pickles and parsley. Serve with steamed greens and crusty bread if you so desire.