Hungarian Paprikash With Chicken — Classic Dish With Creamy Paprika Sauce

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 800 g chicken meat (thighs or breast), cut into pieces
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 teaspoon hot paprika (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 200 g canned tomatoes)
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 200 ml natural yogurt (or sour cream)
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 500 ml chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons oil or butter
• Salt and black pepper
• Fresh parsley for serving

Preparation:

1. In a deep pot, heat the oil and sauté the chopped onions over medium heat until softened and golden, about 8 minutes.
2. Remove the pot from the heat, add the sweet paprika (and the hot one if using) and stir quickly — the paprika must not burn, or it turns bitter.
3. Return to the heat, add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides for 5–6 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, tomatoes and red bell pepper; stir for 2–3 minutes.
5. Pour in the chicken stock, season with salt and pepper, cover and let it simmer over low heat for 30–35 minutes, until the meat is fully tender.
6. In a bowl, mix the yogurt with the flour until smooth; add 2–3 tablespoons of the hot cooking liquid, stir and pour the mixture into the pot while stirring constantly.
7. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes uncovered, until the sauce thickens; taste and adjust the salt.
8. Serve hot with Hungarian noodles (nokedli), rice or fresh bread, sprinkled with fresh parsley.

Time: Preparation 15 min · Cooking 40 min. Servings: 4.