CZECH TOMATO SAUCE WITH BEEF AND VEGAN DUMPLINGS

Submitted by Naomi Markov

"Hello lovely people, It is coming, slowly but for sure! HOLIDAYS! This weekend was The First Advent in Czech Republic and I’ve got an idea! Why not to start this month with mostly Czech or at least festive meals! Vegan and also omnivorous! But mostly vegan! I am going to show you some of my favorite recipes, food that it is traditionally eaten in Czech Republic during this month and you will love it! So let’s start with traditional CZECH TOMATO SAUCE AND DUMPLINGS!"

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 15mins
• Ingredients: 17
• Serves: 7

ingredients

• 7 g dry yeast
• 675 g all-purpose flour
• 220 ml water
• 4 pieces of bread rolls
• 40 -70 ml almond milk or 40 -70 ml soy milk for soaking of bread rolls
• 1 pinch salt
• 500 g , organic beef chunks (let them be, or make them even smaller, it is upto you (OR IN VEGAN VERSION – LEAVE IT OUT!)
• 2 big onions (finely sliced)
• 230 ml tomato paste
• 1000 ml tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon of salt and generous pinch pepper
• 1 vegetable stock cube (OR 2 FOR VEGAN VERSION)
• 17 small balls allspice
• 5 bay leaves
• 1⁄2 cinnamon stick (I think that half of a cinnamon stick will be enough, but you shall see)
• 300 ml water
• 80 g sugar

directions

1. FOR VEGAN DUMPLINGS:

2. Mix a little bit of tepid water (around 30ml) with yeast and ½ teaspoon of sugar and let it be for 3-5 minutes.
3. Then slice your bread rolls into 4 cm x 4 cm big pieces maximum and soak them in milk. They are supposed to be really damp but not soaking wet.
4. Then, in your bowl mix flour with salt, then soaked bread rolls and yeast.
5. Create a dough (there is a possibility, there might be a need for more flour, you don’t want your dough to be extremely sticky, but don’t add too much).
6. After this, create a roll (I’ve created 4 medium sized ones – 20 cm long and 9 cm thick) and let them rise for 20 minutes in warm place.
7. Place them into salted boiling water and cook them for 25 minutes.
8. After 25 minutes, just pierce them with a toothpick once or twice and let them chill down.

9. CZECH TOMATO SAUCE/ALSO IN VEGAN VERSION:

10. This meal is famous for it’s weird combination, but sweetness is important.
11. So let’s start with preheating your big pot on a stove with medium to high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil (I am using rice oil most of the time), add your onions in and start to caramelize them.
12. That will take around 5-10 minutes.
13. Now add your meat and slightly roast it for 3-5 minutes.
14. Pour your tomato puree, paste, water, vegetable stock cube, seasoning and sugar as well and mix it all together and bring it to boil.
15. Then, put it to the simmering heat and with a lid on cook it for 1 hour.
16. This way meat will be extremely soft and tender.
17. But after 45 minutes, bring it to the medium/high heat again and for a last 15 minutes cook it without a lid, this way it will get thicker.
18. BUT IF YOU ARE VEGAN!
19. After caramelization of your onions, just add your tomato puree, tomato paste, seasoning, vegetable stock cubes, sugar as well and mix it together .
20. Bring it to the boil and then to simmering heat and this way cook it for 1 hour with a lid on.
21. After 45 minutes, bring your heat up again to medium to high and cook it this way for last 15 minutes without a lid on.
22. It will get much thicker this way!
23. Enjoy!