Today we're diving into soulful Hungarian cuisine—a country where paprika reigns supreme, and every dish warms and delights. We're making two iconic recipes that Hungarians pass down from generation to generation.
🥔 Rakott Krumpli
Hungarian casserole made of layered potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, sour cream, and sausage—hearty, tender, with a golden crust. This is comfort food in its purest form: simple ingredients transformed into a dish you can't stop eating.
Ingredients:
• Potatoes — 1 kg
• Chicken eggs — 6 pcs.
• Sour cream 20% — 400 g
• Cooked sausage or frankfurters — 300 g
• Butter — 50 g
• Sweet paprika powder — 1 tsp.
• Salt — to taste
• Ground black pepper — to taste
• Breadcrumbs — 2 tbsp.
Preparation:
Step 1. Preparing the main components
Thoroughly wash the potatoes, place them whole with skin on in a pot, cover with cold water 2-3 cm above the level of the tubers. Add 1 tsp. salt, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and cook 20-25 minutes until soft (a knife should enter without resistance). Simultaneously in a separate pot, hard-boil the eggs: lower into boiling water, cook 9 minutes, then immediately cool under cold running water for 3-4 minutes. Peel the cooled potatoes, cut into rounds 4-5 mm thick. Peel the eggs and cut into rounds of the same thickness. Cut the sausage into thin rounds 2-3 mm.
Step 2. Preparing the dish and first layer
Generously grease a baking dish (approximately 20×30 cm) with butter (use half), sprinkle the bottom with 1 tbsp. breadcrumbs. Lay out the first layer: half the potato rounds tightly, overlapping, covering the entire bottom. Salt (pinch of salt), pepper, lightly dust with paprika (1/3 tsp.). The potatoes should lie in an even layer without gaps.
Step 3. Forming the layers
On the potatoes, lay out half the sausage rounds, distributing evenly. On top, place half the egg rounds. Spread this layer with half the sour cream (200 g), distributing with a spoon or spatula so the sour cream penetrates between the pieces. Repeat the sequence: remaining potatoes, salt, pepper, paprika (1/3 tsp.), remaining sausage, remaining eggs. Finish with the remaining sour cream, thoroughly smooth the surface. Sprinkle with the last portion of paprika (1/3 tsp.) and the remaining spoonful of breadcrumbs. Distribute pieces of the remaining butter over the surface.
Step 4. Baking
Preheat the oven to 180°C (convection) or 190°C (top-bottom). Place the dish on the middle level, bake 35-40 minutes. Criterion for doneness: the surface has acquired a golden-brown color, the sour cream at the edges is slightly bubbling and caramelizing, a rich aroma of paprika and baked potatoes emanates from the dish.
Step 5. Serving
Remove the dish from the oven, let stand 5-7 minutes for the layers to stabilize. Cut into portion squares right in the dish. Serve hot, optionally with pickled cucumbers or fresh vegetables. The dish holds its shape excellently and maintains its layered structure when sliced.
💡 Fact: Rakott krumpli is the Hungarian answer to French gratin and Italian lasagna. This dish became especially popular during the socialist era, when simple and accessible products turned into a family celebration. Today it's made for Sunday dinners and considered a symbol of domestic coziness.
🍖 Veal Paprikash (Borjúpaprikás)
The most tender veal stew in a velvety creamy-paprika sauce—a more delicate version of goulash, with a noble flavor and silky texture. Served with nokedli (Hungarian dumplings) or boiled potatoes.
Ingredients:
• Veal (shoulder or brisket) — 800 g
• Yellow onions — 2 large heads (300 g)
• Sweet paprika powder — 3 tbsp.
• Sour cream 20% — 200 g
• Wheat flour — 1 tbsp.
• Fresh tomatoes — 2 pcs. (200 g)
• Sweet pepper (bell pepper) — 1 pc.
• Butter — 40 g
• Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp.
• Garlic — 3 cloves
• Meat broth or water — 400 ml
• Salt — to taste
• Ground black pepper — 1/2 tsp.
Preparation:
Step 1. Preparing the meat and vegetables
Cut the veal into 3×3 cm cubes, removing membranes and large sinews. Pat dry with paper towels—this is critical for proper searing. Peel the onions, cut into small 4-5 mm dice. Blanch the tomatoes with boiling water for 30 seconds, remove the skin, cut the flesh into 1 cm dice. Remove seeds and membranes from the pepper, cut into 0.5 cm wide strips. Finely chop the garlic with a knife.
Step 2. Searing the meat
In a wide saucepan or heavy-bottomed roasting pan, heat the vegetable oil and half the butter over high heat until lightly smoking. Lay out the veal in a single layer (work in batches, don't overcrowd the pan). Sear 2-3 minutes per side until a golden crust forms. The meat should easily release from the bottom—if it sticks, it's not ready yet. Transfer the seared pieces to a plate.
Step 3. Creating the sauce base
In the same saucepan (don't wash!) melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the onion, sauté 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent and lightly golden. Add the garlic, cook 1 minute until fragrant. Reduce heat to minimum, add the paprika, quickly stir and immediately pour in 100 ml broth—the paprika must not burn, or bitterness will develop. The paprika will dissolve, forming a red-orange suspension.
Step 4. Braising
Return the veal to the saucepan along with all released juices. Add the tomatoes, pepper, remaining broth. Bring to a boil, salt (1 tsp.), pepper, stir. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to minimum. Braise 1 hour 15 minutes, checking every 20 minutes and adding water if the liquid evaporates. Criterion for doneness: the meat easily separates with a fork, the fibers are tender, the sauce has thickened and acquired a rich reddish-brown color.
Step 5. Final dressing
In a bowl, whisk together the sour cream and flour until smooth, without lumps. Pour 3-4 tbsp. hot sauce from the saucepan into the bowl, mix thoroughly (tempering will prevent the sour cream from curdling). Pour the sour cream mixture into the saucepan, gently stir. Cook over minimum heat 5-7 minutes without a lid, stirring. The sauce will thicken to the consistency of thin sour cream, acquire a velvety texture and uniform light orange hue.
Step 6. Serving
Serve the paprikash immediately, plating the meat with a generous amount of sauce. The classic side dish is nokedli (dumplings), but wide egg noodles or boiled potatoes work excellently. Garnish with a pinch of fresh paprika and a sprig of parsley.
💡 Fact: Borjúpaprikás is considered the aristocratic version of Hungarian pörkölt. Veal in Hungarian cuisine is traditionally more expensive than beef or pork, so this dish was made for holidays and family celebrations. The secret to the silky sauce lies in tempering the sour cream and slow braising over minimum heat.