Puszta – Hungarian One-Pot Dish

This is something like "our" bigos (the Polish hunter's stew of cabbage and meat). It's a one-pot dish of cabbage and meat, with bell peppers and carrots added. It's tasty and a little different from bigos. I also made it in a vegetarian version, because I don't always feel like having meat. In that version I replaced the meat with smoked tofu, which I cut into cubes and added toward the end of the simmering. It tastes just as good and is quite filling. I recommend both versions.

Potatoes or Spätzle go well as a side. And if you like your food a bit spicier, you can add 1-2 chili peppers.

Puszta, the tofu version

I was inspired by a recipe from the book "Familie in Form," published by Stiftung Warentest.

Instructions:

Peel the onion, cut it in half, and then slice it thinly. Grate the carrot on the large holes of a grater, then sauté both in oil. Add the meat and brown it lightly, then add salt, pepper, paprika, and the bay leaf. Simmer for 1 hour over medium heat, stirring from time to time. If it starts sticking to the bottom of the pot, add a little water.

In the meantime, cut the bell peppers into small cubes. Chop the sauerkraut and add it to the meat together with the white cabbage and the bell peppers. Simmer covered for about 30 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender. Adjust the seasoning once more if needed and serve with sour cream.

Enjoy!