This signature Hungarian dish is renowned for its generous use of sweet paprika, creating a vibrant red color and rich, deep flavor. Tender chicken simmers in a slightly tangy sauce, which is then thickened with sour cream, traditionally served with dumplings (nokedli). Your Geedel food chopper quickly prepares the vegetable base for the stew and helps seamlessly incorporate the sour cream into the sauce, preventing lumps.
Ingredients:
800g bone-in chicken thighs or pieces
2 onions
1 green bell pepper (optional)
2 tbsp sweet paprika (Hungarian preferred)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Salt and black pepper
Fresh dill or parsley (for garnish)
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Vegetable Base:
Cut the onions and green pepper into large chunks. Fit the cross-chopping blade into your Geedel manual vegetable chopper and process the vegetables by turning the handle continuously until they are uniformly finely diced.
2. Brown the Chicken & Start the Sauce:
In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, brown the chicken pieces skin-side down until golden. Remove and set aside. In the same pot, sauté the diced vegetables in the remaining fat until softened.
3. Build the Paprika Sauce:
Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the sweet paprika and tomato paste, stirring quickly for about 30 seconds to release their aroma without burning. Pour in the chicken broth, stirring to combine into a smooth base.
4. Simmer the Chicken:
Return the chicken to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm.
5. Create the Smooth Sour Cream Sauce:
Switch to the mixing paddle attachment in your Geedel container. Add the sour cream and flour, and turn the handle to blend until completely smooth and free of lumps.
Gradually add a few ladles of the hot stewing liquid into the sour cream mixture while turning the handle to temper it. Then, pour this mixture back into the pot with the remaining sauce.
6. Final Simmer and Serve:
Heat the sauce over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens to a creamy consistency. Return the chicken to the sauce to heat through briefly. Garnish generously with fresh herbs and serve immediately with Hungarian nokedli (dumplings) or egg noodles.
Summary:
The success of this classic Hungarian stew lies in the depth of its flavor and the silky smoothness of its sauce. The Geedel chopper provides a finely and evenly diced vegetable base in moments, while its mixing function ensures the sour cream and flour blend perfectly—eliminating the common issue of curdling or lumping when added directly to the hot sauce—resulting in a perfectly thickened, restaurant-quality texture.