Serves 4
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 15 minutes
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon plain flour
450 g (14½ oz) beef sirloin, sliced
300 g (10 oz) long-grain white rice
25 g (1 oz) butter
4 tablespoons vegetable or sunfower oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
250 g (8 oz) chestnut mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
300 ml (½ pint) soured cream
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped curly parsley, to garnish
Mix together the paprika and flour in a large bowl. Add the beef and turn to coat.
Cook the rice in lightly salted boiling water for 13 minutes or according to the packet instructions until cooked but firm. Drain, set aside and keep warm.
Meanwhile, melt the butter with 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. Add the onion and cook for about 6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes until soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the pan, increase the heat to high and add the beef. Fry until browned all over, working in batches if necessary, then reduce the heat. Return the onion mixture to the pan along with the soured cream. Stir through, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and allow to bubble gently for 1–2 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately with the cooked rice and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.
For mushroom & red pepper stroganoff, omit the beef, increase the quantity of chestnut mushrooms to 500 g (1 lb) and add 2 thinly sliced cored and deseeded red peppers. Cook the mushrooms with the onion, stirring from time to time, until they have reduced and the onion is soft and translucent. Remove the mixture from the pan with a slotted spoon. Cook the peppers in the same pan until tender, then return the onion mixture to the pan and continue as above. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts instead of the parsley, and serve on a bed of rice.