Russian Stroganoff

I love Stroganoff! My husband made it for me a couple of years ago to make me smile after a particularly gruelling work weekend-day. It worked! And, ever since, it has been one of my favorite comfort foods. Now, whenever I buy ground meat, I always make this dish out of a portion of it (Yes, the fond memory does make it extra special!:-) ). It really is the easiest dish to make! It is so simple and makes a no-frill yet rich and soul-warming meal that is perfect for a cold day.

Stroganoff is originally a Russian meat dish of sauteed pieces of beef served in a sauce of sour cream. After the fall of the Russian Empire, versions of it, apparently, came back with U.S. military officers who had been stationed in China in the 1950s. It has now become, arguably, one of the most popular gifts from Russia to the culinary world, aside from Russian Caviar!

My first introduction to Russian cuisine was Russian Salad back in India. I think it is the most common first step that many Indian home cooks take into the wide world of Western cooking. Perhaps, it is because it can easily be veganised or may be because it doesn't require any complicated techniques or equipment. Besides, I think mayo still holds a lot of awe-potential! The original Russian version of the salad is usually made with potatoes, peas, hard boiled eggs and other vegetables and sometimes meats tossed in a mayo based dressing. In India, it is almost always made in its vegetarian form.

If you liked that salad, the stroganoff is sure to please! It has the same creamy sauce base with the added flavor punch from the meat. If you have not had the salad, the stroganoff is a great starting point in the discovery of the cuisine. It's the ideal comfort food; takes 15 minutes to make and makes for a warm and hearty meal.

Although the original Russian version of the dish calls for beef cubes, I rather like it with ground meat. And, that is only because I like the taste of ground meat much more than chunks. If you like meat cubes, by all means, stay true to the original version (you would need to adjust cooking times of course!). Also, the meat can as easily substituted with lamb or poultry but red meat really gives it the best flavor.

By the way, if you are vegetarian, fret not! You needn't lose out on these great flavors. You can just substitute the meat with mushrooms. It is absolutely blissful!

Meat Stroganoff
(3 servings)

3 tsp olive oil
3/4 lb ground meat
1 large onion diced fine
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup sour cream
1 T ketchup
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 T all purpose flour
1/3 cup beef broth

1 T chopped parsley for garnish
salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
Egg noodles to accompany

Saute onion and garlic in oil until onions are until tender and golden brown. Remove and set aside. Brown ground beef in the same pan and drain off excess fat. Sprinkle flour over ground beef and combine to cook the flour for a minute. Add back the onions and dried thyme. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir in the broth, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. Cook until the mixture is thickened. Just before serving, stir in sour cream and heat through.

Serve generously over hot egg noodles and garnished with the chopped fresh parsley.