Segedin goulash with polenta

Segedin goulash with polenta is delicious comfort food, made of creamy coconut polenta, tender pork meat and some pickled cabbage. Winter and autumn are the perfect time to serve it to your family and friends.

I love polenta! This golden, corn flavoured, creamy deliciousness! Last time I made a typical Slovenian dish; Segedin goulash with polenta. Segedin goulash originates in Hungary, but it’s spread all over the world with different versions of it. Anyway, like always, I made some changes on my own. Hehehe. It’s incredible how easy it is to make such a flavourful dish with such simple ingredients.

Some call it the “next big thing”. Hmmmm. Well, I’ve been eating polenta since I was a little girl. Everyone in my family was making it. I remember my mother used to make it thick covered with hot milk and sprinkled with sugar. Wow, that was a great meal. That was back then. Now she is making it with meat, fish or goulash. My grandmother always cooked it for an hour over an open fire, then flipped it on a cutting board, left to thicken and then she cut it with a thread. Hahaha. How cool, lots of memories!

However, I can’t believe some people never cooked polenta or don’t even know what polenta is. Well, I hope you will all give it a try and follow this easy Segedin goulash with polenta recipe. For the polenta lovers, you might check out these amazing polenta fries and this delicious creamy polenta with chorizo, too. Wink.

What is Segedin? This is basically a goulash, made with meat (usually with pork) and sour cabbage. I used some nice pork sausages and bay leaves to give it an amazing flavour. This reminded me of home.

Oh, and by the way, Segedin is always better the day after it was cooked (like with the Sarma recipe). Therefore, you might make it a day in advance.

Ingredients for 4-6 portions of Segedin goulash with polenta:

• olive oil
• 2 yellow onions
• 300 g pork sausage (or pork meat, cut 2 cm)
• 3 bay leaves
• 10 peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp of tomato paste
• 3 garlic cloves
• 600-700 g sauerkraut (pickled cabbage)
• 200 ml tomato sauce
• warm water (the amount to cover all the ingredients in the pot)
• salt
• 250 g polenta
• 750 ml coconut milk (from a can)

Start with making the Segedin goulash. In a larger pot, heat some olive oil. Then add the chopped onions and the sausage pieces. Once the meat gets a nice golden brown colour and the onion gets glossy and soft, add the peppercorns, tomato paste, bay leaves and garlic.

Stir-fry for a minute and add the sauerkraut. Now, some people find sauerkraut to sour. Hahaha. Well, isn’t that the point of it all? However, some people also wash it to get rid of the sour taste. BUT, I wouldn’t recommend it. You have to experience the real Segedin goulash. Therefore, stir in the sauerkraut, add the tomato sauce and cover everything with warm water. Season well, cover and leave it to simmer on a low heat for about an hour.

Don’t forget to give it an occasional stir, in order to prevent the goulash from sticking at the bottom of the pot. The Segedin goulash is ready when the cabbage is soft and around half of the liquid evaporated.

Polenta with coconut milk:

Furthermore, cook the polenta. Here is how I made it. Well, not how but more with what I made it. Usually, it is cooked in water, but I used coconut milk instead. Hehehe. My grandmother and some other people as well would be horrified screaming right now.

However, polenta cooked with coconut milk (especially the creamy one from the can) is freaking fabulous! If you are not a big fan of polenta, try this one and I guarantee, you’ll change your mind. Heat the coconut milk and add two pinches of salt. Only before it is about to boil, stir in the polenta. Continue stirring (I used a whisk) until thicken or your desired consistency.

I just love a simple meal like Segedin goulash with polenta. This flavourful spoon dish is perfect on a cold autumn or winter day. Segedin goulash not only goes perfectly with polenta but also makes a great combo with boiled potatoes or with some bread.

Enjoy!

PS