Hungary's beloved street food: Make perfect langos at home
Langos are the most popular street food dish in Hungary. Both locals and tourists enjoy these delightful pancakes. They are a pleasure to eat while exploring Budapest, and they are not difficult to prepare at home either. I have a foolproof recipe with an ingredient I discovered 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 a special ingredient worth adding to make it tastier and less oily.
Add this ingredient to the dough
Langos are essentially pancakes made from yeast dough. We are familiar with this dough because, in addition to being delicious on its own, it is also used for doughnuts, buns, cakes, and other pastries. Although it may seem that the recipe doesn't change, there is a version that includes potatoes. Some people prepare doughnut dough with this addition. 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 considerable amount of oil, allowing them to float freely. 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 the pancakes will be lighter, as they won't lose calories, but they will certainly be crispier.
Hungarian langos with potatoes
Ingredients:
- 300 grams of potatoes,
- 500 grams of all-purpose flour,
- 350 millilitres (1.5 cups) of warm milk or water,
- 50 millilitres (3 ⅓ tablespoons) of oil,
- 1 teaspoon of sugar,
- 30 grams of fresh yeast,
- Oil for frying,
- Plain yoghurt 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 100 millilitres (0.4 cups) of warm milk, 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 starter. Pour in the remaining milk and knead the dough, gradually adding the 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 eight 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 yoghurt, grated yellow cheese, and chopped chives.
