BENGALI LANGCHA - LYANGCHA
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| BENGALI LANGCHA - LYANGCHA |
Bengali Langcha/ Lyangcha - when I saw this recipe, at the first look, I thought it was Gulab Jamun. It looked and had ingredients more or less similar to the ones used for making Gulab Jamuns. My presumption proved wrong. Gulab Jamun is one sweet devoured heads down at home, and it gets over within no time. Though this year and specifically during the lockdown period due to Covid-19, I was making numerous varieties of snacks, savouries, sweets, desserts and drinks. A few recipes like Gulab Jamuns & Palkovas were repeated that I tried some variations each time. And always I get lucky with a Gulab Jamun Recipe, whatsoever. Enna Mayamo, Manthiramo?!!!(No idea what Magic or Spell). So it helped me succeed in my novice attempt of recreating this Bengali delight - Lyangcha.
So, a good new variation to our good old Gulab Jamun - Bengali Langcha/ Lyangcha. Along with the recipe, I was able to know the typical variations & differences of these Sweets. Gulab Jamun, Makkan Peda, Kala Jamun, Pantua, Lyangcha etc., though most of these sweets, at a look, can be deceiving and you would misinterpret it to be the same old Gulab Jamun (So is the popularity of a Gulab Jamun worldwide). They have slight variations in ingredients, taste, texture, flavour & taste.
LANGCHA, PANTUA & GULAB JAMUN
BENGALI LANGCHA - LYANGCHA
Gulab Jamun, Pantua & Langcha can be called as triplets, but truly non-identical when it comes to the ingredients, shape & taste. They have a vast difference to classify them as unique sweets of their own.
Langcha/Lyangcha, a traditional Bengali Sweet is slightly identical to Gulab Jamun when it comes to the texture & taste. But different, in terms of ingredients & shape. It is prepared with Khoya/Mawa & Paneer/Chenna as a base ingredient. Langcha/Lyangchas are longer than the other two & have a cylindrical shape. The best ‘Langchas/Lyangchas’ are made in Shaktigarh, a little known town near Burdwan district in West Bengal.
Pantua, a Bengali sweet is quite similar to Gulab Jamun except that it is prepared with Khoya/Mawa & Paneer/Chenna as a base ingredient. It has ingredients similar to Langcha, but it is shaped like a Gulab Jamun. Pantuas are softer than Gulab Jamuns when it comes to texture & do not use rose essence or saffron in it.
Gulab Jamuns are traditionally made with Khoya/Mawa and has that distinct Rose smell which it is named after(Gulab means Rose). Gulab Jamun has a much richer flavour compared to the other two. Khoya is used as one of the main ingredients in the preparation of Gulab Jamun, but not in the other two. Apart from this, some Gulab Jamuns also have some nuts or dry fruit fillings in it. Some recipes even call for adding Milk Powder as a main ingredient instead of Khoya.
Paneer/Chenna is a quintessential ingredient in a Bengali Cuisine. And the versatility in which they are recreated flaunts the very nature of Bengali Sweets. Most of the Bengali sweets are Paneer based & comes in different shapes with minute variations and with a wide range of tastes. Paneer/Chhanar Jilipi which looks like a Jalebi. Ledikeni- a pretty famous sweet named after and created for Lady Canning. There is Kala Jamun, Chitrakoot and many more.
Though Gulab Jamun is known for its popularity worldwide, a variation in it is always welcome. And this Langcha is a must-try in this cadre. If you readily have homemade Paneer/Chenna then you can make this Bengali Lagcha within no time. It can last up to a week when stored in the refrigerator. Try this Bengali Lagcha this Diwali for yet another Sweet indulgence.
For more GULAB JAMUN RECIPES, Click here...
Cuisine - Bengali(Indian)
Recipe Type - Sweet, Dessert
Difficulty - Medium
Yields - 10-12 Pieces
Author - SM
Preparation Time - 15 - 20 Minutes
Leavening Time - 5 - 8 Minutes
Cooking Time - 20 - 30 Minutes
Soaking Time - 2 - 3 Hours
For DIWALI RECIPES, Click here...
HOW TO MAKE BENGALI LANGCHA - LYANGCHA
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| BENGALI LANGCHA - LYANGCHA |
INGREDIENTS :
For Bengali Langcha/Lyangcha:
Paneer/Chenna - 2 Cups
Baking Powder - A Pinch
Cardamom Powder - 1/4 Tspn
Cardamom Powder - 1/4 Tspn
Ghee - 1/2 Tbspn
Salt - A Pinch (Optional)
For How to make Paneer, Click here...
For How to make Khoya/Mawa, Click here...
For Deep Frying:
Oil/Ghee
For Sugar Syrup:
Sugar - 2 Cups
Water - 4 Cups
Green Cardamoms - 3-4 Nos.
For Garnishing:
Almonds/Pistachios - Few (Optional)
METHOD:
For Bengali Langcha/Lyangcha:
- Grate the Paneer/Chenna and mash well until there are no lumps.
- Take Khoya/Mawa in a bowl and mash it well until there are no lumps.
- Whisk All-purpose Flour, Ghee, Cardamom Powder, Salt & Baking Soda in a bowl and mix it along with Paneer & Khoya.
- Mix all the ingredients well until there and no lumps and has a fine texture
- Knead the dough suing your palms until you get a soft texture.
- The dough should not be crumbly or dry. If the dough is dry sprinkle a bit of milk and knead it until soft.
- Leave the dough aside for about 10 Minutes.
- Divide the mixture into 10-12 equal-sized balls. Then roll into smooth cylindrical shaped logs.
- Meanwhile, heat Oil/Ghee, reduce the flame to low.
- Add the Langchas and fry them until they become golden brown.
- Toss them frequently in the oil to get an even colour.
- Remove the Bengali Langchas from the oil with a slotted spoon and drop them into the Sugar Syrup.
- Let the fried Langcha/Lyangcha soak in the sugar syrup for at least 2-3 hours.
- Garnish the Bengali Langchas with slivered Almonds or Pistachios.
- Serve Bengali Langchas warm or cold, with a hearty drizzle of sugar syrup over it.
For Sugar Syrup:
- Add Sugar and Water, in a heavy-bottomed pan.
- Keep this on a low flame and stir well until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Do not stir when the sugar solution starts to boil. This will affect the consistency of the syrup.
- Once the sugar is dissolved and when the sugar solution starts to boil, add 2 Tbspns of milk into it.
- This step is to remove the dirt from the Sugar. The dirt coagulates and starts to float on top and at the sides of the pan, remove them from the sugar solution using a slotted spoon.
- Always keep the flame at low. Remove all the floating dirt & then strain the syrup using a strainer.
- Stir in Cardamom Powder.
- STICKY SYRUP: For Gulab Jamuns we need a bit of sticky syrup. To test the consistency, take the syrup in a spoon or a ladle and touch it with your fingers. It should be sticky if we slide it through our fingers.
- The Sugar Syrup shouldn't turn into String consistency. The syrup should flow down when lifted & poured out with a spoon.
- Switch off the fire and leave the sugar syrup aside.
- Overheating the sugar solution will caramelize it or thicken it.
BENGALI LANGCHA - LYANGCHA
NOTES:
- If there are lumps while mixing the flour and paneer, make sure to break the lumps before adding Curd/Milk to knead the flour.
- Lumps will affect the texture of the Bengali Langchas. They will not be soft.
- The moist from Paneer & Khoya is more than enough to knead it into a dough.
- If you feel that the dough is dry, sprinkle a bit of milk and knead it until soft.
- Deep fry the Langchas on a medium-low flame.
- Soak all the Langchas/Lyangchas in Sugar Syrup in a wide bowl/pan. Make sure they aren't overcrowded.
- For Pantua recipe, use the same ingredients & roll it out into balls. Follow rest of the steps as for Lyangcha.
*TIPS & TRICKS :
Adding
milk to the Sugar Syrup is an old trick taught by my 'Dad'. This helps
to remove all the dirt and scum from the Sugar Solution. Simmer it for
few minutes until all the dirt coagulates and it would start to float
over the Sugar solution. Remove it with a slotted spoon
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