Leczo – 2

• Having just recently come across my friend’s recipe for Leczo, I then found  another version marked in a book I bought in Poland around 10 years ago.
• Smak Węgier (Taste of Hungary) by Robert Makłowicz.
• This is a vegetarian version of leczo.
• I thought I should give this a go.
• I cut down the amounts used in half  – though Robert says he likes this served cold as well as hot.
• In Poland many would make this for bottling.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large onions – chopped
• Around 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
• 500g of yellow or red peppers – 5-6 peppers – chopped
• 1 hot red chilli pepper – chopped
• 500g of ripe tomatoes  – home grown are the best or
• 3 tablespoons of tomato purée in 30ml of vegetable stock
• 2 cloves of garlic – chopped.
• Salt to taste

METHOD

• Gently fry the onions and garlic in the sunflower oil without browning.
• Add the peppers and chilli, stir and continue cooking.
• Skin the tomatoes if using and chop these or add the tomato purée and stock.
• Stir and cook gently for around 20 to 30 minutes, with a lid on the pan.
• How cooked you want the vegetables is up to you.
• Add salt to taste if needed.
• *
• Serve with boiled rice or
• Eggs – gently fried or steamed above the sauce in a shallow pan.

The image from Robert’s book is titled – The getaway of the vegetarian.

Note – this tastes good cold and can be served with cold meats.

Jarosz – is an old Polish word for a vegetarian – there was no need to to invent a new word from English.

Jaroszewicz is a common surname – we had many friends with this surname.