Langaš
Lángos or langaš in northeastern Slovenian dialect of Prekmurje, is an iconic deep-fried flatbread originating from Hungary.
The name Lángos derives from the Hungarian word láng, meaning flame, as it was originally baked in the residual heat of brick ovens. It likely originated at the same time as bread, as it was made from the scraps of bread dough left in the kneading trough: the bread dough was prepared in a kneading trough, and the leftover dough stuck to the sides was shaped into flat cakes and baked in the still-glowing oven after the bread had been removed. In the southwestern part of Hungary, wealthier families would bake lángos topped with onions and bacon, which inspired today’s kenyérlángos (oven-baked flatbread). In the eastern part, it was eaten plain, with sour cream, or with jam. Later, with the advent of industrial sugar, it was also enjoyed as a sweet treat, especially by children.
With the modernization of agriculture and the transformation of rural society, the tradition of home bread baking disappeared, replaced by industrial bakeries and mass-produced bread. Fried lángos appeared in the late 1950s, primarily offered by small-scale vendors, but it became truly popular in the 1970s.
While lángos is quintessentially Hungarian, its appeal quickly spread across borders to countries like Slovenia, Germany, and Austria. Lángos is particularly popular in the northeastern regions of Slovenia, where shared cultural ties and ingredients have bridged the gap between the two countries. In Murska Sobota, a stand next to the bus station has been selling langaš, piceki (fried chicken), and ponfri (French fries) for decades. Travelers passing through Murska Sobota often purchase langaš and other delicacies to bring home to their families.
M. Fišer, Tradicionalna prekmurska kuharica: od förtuja do olstika. Sveti Jurij ob Ščavnici: Tandem Mktg, 2017, str. 159.
Recipe
Ingredients for langaš:
750 g flour
375 g cooked potatoes
21 g instant dry yeast
375 ml warm water
1 tsp salt
oil for frying
toppings: sour cream, grated (Edam) cheese, etc.
Ingredients for garlicky water:
1 garlic clove
200 g water
1 tsp of salt
Ingredients for cucumbers with yogurt (mlejčne uborke):
1 large cucumber
500 g yogurt (I used 10% fat)
sour cream (as needed)
salt
1 garlic clove
paprika (sweet or smoked)
Instructions:
Langaš Dough
Push the cooked potatoes through a ricer into a bowl.
Preheat the oven to 120°F (50°C).
In a separate large bowl, combine the flour and yeast.
Add the water and riced potatoes to the flour mixture, and knead briefly. Then add the salt and continue kneading, either by hand or with a mixer, until the dough is soft and elastic.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the warmed oven to rest for about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat once the dough is in the oven.
Cucumbers with Yogurt
Depending on the type of cucumber, peel the skin if necessary and slice into 2–3 mm thick rings. Lightly salt the slices and let them sit until they release water. Then, squeeze the cucumbers gently to remove excess liquid.
Add a minced garlic clove and yogurt to the cucumbers, and mix well.
Refrigerate the salad until ready to serve. Before serving, stir the yogurt-cucumber salad again. If it is too thick, add more yogurt; if it is too thin, add sour cream. Adjust the salt and garlic to taste.
Just before serving, sprinkle with paprika.
Garlicky Water
Mince one clove of garlic and mix it with water. Add a pinch of salt and stir well. Over time, the garlicky water may turn green due to oxidation.
Making Langaš
Divide the langaš dough into small pieces and shape each into a ball (approximately 150 g each, if measuring by weight).
Heat oil in a pan, ensuring it is several centimeters deep for frying.
Take a ball of dough and stretch it to the size of the pan. Once the oil reaches frying temperature (325–375°F / 165–190°C), carefully place the stretched dough into the oil. Fry until the bottom turns golden, then flip it and continue frying until both sides are golden.
Tip: Work quickly when frying to prevent the dough from absorbing too much oil. For best results, you can use two pans with oil. Start frying the langoš in the first pan, and after a few seconds (when the oil temperature in the first pan begins to drop), transfer it to the second pan to finish frying.
Once the langaš is golden on both sides, transfer it to a wire rack to drain excess oil.
Brush langaš with garlicky water and serve it immediately, paired with a cucumber salad. As a fast-food snack, it is often topped with sour cream and sprinkled with grated cheese.