Kinga’s Sour Cabbage and Bean Goulash (Kroyt met bundlokh)

This Community Recipe is Kinga’s Sour Cabbage and Bean Goulash (Kroyt met bundlokh). This Romanian dish was shared with Kinga by Holocaust-survivor Golda Salamon. The base of pickled cabbage and beans is lightly spiced with paprika, to make a simple but intensely satisfying meal.

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All about Kinga Júlia Király

Kinga Júlia Király is a writer and literary translator. She graduated in dramaturgy from the University of Arts in her hometown (Marosvásárhely/Târgu Mureș). Kinga is a translator and interpreter of Italian literature. She has published several volumes of novels and short stories.

Kinga lives in Hungary, shuttling between two cities: Budapest and Pécs. She and her husband started gardening during the COVID-19 pandemic and really enjoyed the slowdown in nature. As a writer, Kinga reads a lot. Right now she is enjoying Ali Smith’s Autumn, and Valeria Luiselli’s Lost Children Archive. She also hikes, does yoga, and lots of cooking of course. When there is no pressure, Kinga says cooking is an instrument of joy, fantasy and self expression.

Kinga’s work on Transylvanian Jewish stories and recipes.

The English edition of Kinga’s book, Recipes for a New Beginning, was published by CEEOL Press in 2020:

“Recipes for a New Beginning. Transylvanian Jewish Stories of Life, Hunger, and Hope is a literary and scholarly work, a cookbook, a cultural dictionary, and a memorial album of Transylvanian Jews. It is a historical summary of the Transylvanian Jewish community’s past 100 years based on 10 in-depth interviews. The author conducted hundreds of hours of interviews and joint cooking with Holocaust survivors. The stories of the interviewees are supported by substantial archival research. Survival and starting anew are in the focus of this readable and gap-filling illustrated book, which conjures up the memories of its contributors ingeniously.”

For cooking inspiration, Kinga’s favorites are:

How was Kinga’s Sour Cabbage and Bean Goulash recipe created?

Kinga found this recipe in Sighetu Marmatiei/Máramarossziget (Romania), the greatest Shtetl in North-Transylvania before WW2. She was there to collect Transylvanian Jewish recipes. The Holocaust-survivor Golda Salamon shared this recipe with Kinga, and now she is sharing it with us.

Key ingredients for Kinga’s Sour Cabbage and Bean Goulash

Pickled cabbage – in a hurry, you can use premade store bought sauerkraut. However, pickled cabbage is surprisingly easy to make. It is also very cheap to make, and keeps well in the refrigerator. Try this simple recipe for homemade pickled cabbage.

Beans – dried always provide better flavor and texture. However, it’s not always practical to plan ahead and prepare your beans by soaking. In those times, canned beans work fine!

Variations for Kinga’s Sour Cabbage and Bean Goulash recipe

Save time – use canned beans. The flavor will be slightly less intense, and the texture softer. But there is no denying that canned beans are a labor and time saving ingredient!
Extra vegetables – add thinly sliced carrots or zucchini to add some sweetness to this deliciously sour dish
Add tomato paste for more tang – it will draw out the warm notes of the paprika.