Hungarian Paprikás Krumpli, a vegetarian recipe

Name: Hungarian Paprikás Krumpli
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Hungary
Ingredients: 1 kg waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into thick wedges; 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped; 2 Hungarian wax peppers (or sweet pointed yellow peppers), deseeded and cut into strips; 2 ripe tomatoes, diced; 2 rounded tbsp authentic Hungarian sweet paprika; 1/2 tsp whole caraway seeds; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 3 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil; 600 ml hot vegetable broth labelled gluten free, or water; Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

In a Dutch oven or cast-iron bogrács pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onions for 8 minutes until tender and light golden.
Add the sliced peppers and minced garlic, cooking for another 3 minutes until softened.
Pull the pot completely off the heat source for 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the sweet paprika and caraway seeds, stirring rapidly with a wooden spoon to coat the onions evenly without scorching.
Immediately pour in 100 ml of warm water to halt the frying and dissolve the paprika safely.
Return the pot to low heat, add the diced tomatoes, and cook gently for 5 minutes.
Add the potato wedges to the pot, season generously with salt, and toss to coat every potato piece in the deep red paprika base.
Pour in enough broth or water to come three-quarters of the way up the potatoes.
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the cooking broth thickens naturally.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, then serve steaming hot alongside crisp pickled cucumbers and fresh bread, gluten-free if you follow that diet.

Never pour paprika powder into sizzling hot oil: the sugars burn quickly and turn bitter. Pulling the pot away from the heat before stirring in the spice and deglazing with a splash of warm water guarantees a rich, fruity flavour.

The techniques this recipe uses

Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.
Reduce
Uncovered, water leaves and flavour concentrates. It is done when the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of paprika gives the most authentic flavour?

Look for genuine Hungarian sweet paprika (édesnemes). It is a deep ruby red with a fruity, sweet, velvety flavour and no aggressive pungent heat.

Why must the pot be moved off the heat before adding paprika?

Ground paprika has delicate natural sugars that will burn and turn bitter in seconds if exposed to sizzling oil. Taking the pan off the burner, stirring in the spice, and immediately adding liquid keeps the paprika aromatic and sweet.

What is typically served alongside this stew?

In Hungary, paprikás krumpli is always enjoyed with fermented sour dill pickles (kovászos uborka) or pickled cabbage salad, accompanied by thick slices of fresh white bread. The stew itself contains no gluten, so choose a gluten-free bread if you follow that diet.

Hungarian Paprikás Krumpli

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

This recipe also appears in

Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

Read more

Have you cooked this dish?

More recipes from Hungary

Gundel Pancakes

Lecsó

Hungarian vegetarian stuffed peppers

Recipes in the same spirit