Hungary's beloved langos: The secret ingredient for less grease
Langos are the most popular street food dish in Hungary. Both locals and tourists enjoy these delicious pancakes. They are delightful to eat while exploring Budapest, and they are not difficult to prepare at home either. I have a foolproof recipe with an ingredient I learned about at a langos stand.
Langos have won the hearts of food lovers worldwide. The recipe is simple, and you can quickly embark on a culinary journey to Budapest. The base is a fluffy yeast dough. In Hungary, I discovered an ingredient worth adding to make it tasty and absorb less oil.
Add this ingredient to the dough
Langos are simply pancakes made from yeast dough. We know this dough well because, in addition to being delicious on its own, it's also used for donuts, buns, cakes, and other pastries. Although it may seem that the recipe doesn't change, there's also a version with potatoes. Some people add mashed potatoes when preparing donut dough. I noticed that Hungarians also add mashed potatoes to langos. This makes them fluffy and less greasy.
How to fry langos
The pancakes are fried in deep fat, so you'll need a lot of oil. They should float freely in it. This is not a diet-friendly snack, especially since langos are traditionally served with sour cream and cheese. Therefore, it's worth using the potato dough recipe. It's hard to say that the pancakes will be lighter, as they won't lose calories, but they will definitely be crispier.
Hungarian langos with potatoes
Ingredients:
- 11 ounces of potatoes
- 18 ounces of all-purpose flour
- 12 ounces (1.5 cups) of warm milk or water
- 1.7 ounces (3 ⅓ tablespoons) of oil
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 ounce of fresh yeast
- Oil for frying
- Plain yogurt or sour cream for serving
- Grated yellow cheese for serving
- A few sprigs of chives for serving
Preparation method:
- Cook the potatoes in salted water, then drain and mash them.
- Mix 3.4 ounces (0.4 cups) of warm milk, dry yeast, and sugar. Set the mixture aside for a moment to let the yeast activate.
- Sift the flour into a bowl, add the potatoes and the risen yeast mixture. Pour in the rest of the milk and knead the dough, gradually adding oil. Finally, salt it, cover with a cloth, and set aside for half an hour to rise.
- After this time, divide the dough into about 8 balls and roll them into small pancakes.
- Fry the prepared pancakes on both sides in hot oil for a few minutes.
- Place them on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb excess fat.
- Serve them with a portion of sour cream or yogurt, grated yellow cheese, and chopped chives.
