Although goulash originated in Hungary, it is now a fundamental part of Slovakians’ national diet. It is typically eaten with Slovakia’s well-loved parená knedl’a, which soaks up any excess sauce and falls apart in the mouth. Steer clear of the knedl’a if you’re conscious of your weight and couple your goulash with steamed brown rice. As for vegetarians, simply exclude the lamb from the recipe. You can also swap the lamb for any other meat you prefer.

Start by covering the lamb with salt, pepper and flour, before wrapping it in cling film. Set aside while you chop all the vegetables. Next sear the meat on all sides, and leave to rest. Then fry the onions, garlic and spices together. Once the onions start to soften, add the meat, tomatoes, vegeta- bles, stock and puree and simmer for three hours. Slow cookers are your best bet for this dish, given that three hours is a long time to stand by a saucepan.

For the knedl’a start by heating 25ml of milk to a gentle simmer. Add 1 tsp sugar and the sachet of yeast. Whisk and leave for 10 minutes. Now add the flour, egg, salt and 200ml milk. Mix thoroughly. The mixture must be dry, so add as much flour as necessary. Knead until firm, leave in the bowl, and cover with a clean tea towel. Leave to rise for two hours or until it reaches the edge of the bowl! Once risen, chop the mixture into two, and form two round loaves. Boil each one separately in water for approximately 20 minutes. Once cooked, leave to dry, and slice when ready. It’s best to place it under your goulash so that it soaks it all up, although it can be fun to have it as a side so that you can dip it into the goulash as and when you want to. Dobrú chut’!

See our other LSi regional recipes here

Polly Galis