Vegetarian recipes from Hungary

Three things identify a Hungarian dish: ground paprika, sweet or hot; the lard or oil it is stirred into off the heat so it does not turn bitter; and softened onion as the base. Add sour cream, fresh cheese and wheat flour. Lecso is the barest form of it: peppers, tomatoes, onion, paprika, nothing else. Paprikas krumpli applies the same principle to potatoes, which then carry the whole dish.

A classic meal opens with a soup, often thickened with flour or cream, followed by one substantial dish. Vegetables are not a side but the body of the plate, stuffed, stewed or fried: Hungarian stuffed peppers are filled with rice and vegetables and cooked in a lightly sweetened tomato sauce. Frying holds its own place, from langos rubbed with garlic and topped with sour cream to rolled desserts such as Gundel palacsinta, with walnuts and chocolate.