Traditional Hungarian Chicken Paprikash - Paprika Csirke
Chicken and peppers cooked in a rich paprika and tomato sauce.
Ingredients
BASE SAUCE - LECSO
- 3 bell peppers
- 400 g chopped tomatoes 400g canned
- 1/2 cup smoked pancetta or bacon
- 1 onion
- 25 g lard
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 3 tsp smoked paprika
- 150 ml sour cream
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2-3 tbsp chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- sunflower oil
DUMPLINGS - NOKELDI
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
BASE SAUCE - Hungarian Lecsó:
- Heat lard in a pan. Add chopped bacon, onions, and bell peppers sliced into strips. Fry on medium heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are lightly browned, and peppers and bacon are crisp.
- Add chopped tomatoes, salt, and ground paprika. Mix well and cook for 15 minutes until the peppers are tender and the sauce thickens.
CHICKEN
- In a deep frying pan, heat oil and add chopped onion. Sauté for 2 minutes until translucent.
- Add chicken pieces, season with salt, and fry skin-side down for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Turn and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute.
PAPRIKASH
- Transfer the browned chicken to the pot with the pepper and tomato sauce. Pour in enough water to cover the meat ( i used about 400ml or two cups) and add sweet and smoked paprika, as well as fresh bell pepper strips. Season with salt and stir well.
- Cover and simmer on low to medium heat for 30-40 minutes, depending on chicken size. In the last 10 minutes, remove the lid and continue simmering until the sauce thickens. Reduce heat to the lowest setting.
- Mix sour cream with flour. Add about 100ml of the sauce into the sour cream mixture and mix with a fork until smooth. Pour this mixture back into the pot. Stir well to thicken the sauce evenly without lumps.
HUNGARIAN DUMPLINGS - NOKELDI
- Beat egg and add water. Gradually add flour to form a thick, manageable dough that breaks apart easily.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil with a bit of oil. Scooping dough with a teaspoon, drop it into the boiling water.
- Cook in batches for about 2 minutes or until dumplings float. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Drizzle with oil and mix carefully to prevent sticking.
Notes
The total calorie count for this dish is approximately 1,985 calories. This recipe serves about 4 people, so each serving is 496 calories. Please note that these values are estimates and can vary based on the specific types and quantities of ingredients used.