If you are a fan of Tibetan food then laphing can be a good food choice for you. So, what is laphing? Laphing is a popular dish found on the streets of Tibet. You cannot stop themselves from eating this dish once you have tasted it. Tibetan laphing is a cold noodle dish that is mostly found on the streets of Northeast India. It is prepared from wheat flour, potato and moong dal. Vegetarian contents are added to the veg laphing recipe and then served as medium-sized pieces. To get the best taste, it is served with spicy sauces.
Ingredients Required to Make the Laphing Recipe
Do you want to make a laphing recipe at home? If yes, then you will require certain specific ingredients to make it. The list of ingredients is given below. They are as follows:
Prep time: 2 hours | Cooking time: 15 minutes
● 2 tbsp - vinegar
● 2 tsp - soy sauce
● Ajino moto (optional)
● 3 tsp - red chili powder
● ½ tbsp - Sichuan powder
● 100 ml cooking oil (or as required)
● ½ tsp - yeast or baking powder
● ½ tbsp - turmeric powder
● Salt as per taste
● 1 to 2 litres water
● 4 to 5 garlic cloves
● 500 grams - all-purpose flour or maida
Nutritional Value of Laphing
Laphing is a traditional food that hails from the streets of Nepal containing almost all the nutrients such as starch, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, etc. One can make this dish healthy and tasty for their kids by adding vegetables to this snack and serving its sauces.
Method to Make Laphing at Home
With all the available ingredients in hand, we can readily prepare laphing easily at home. We have hereby provided different methods of preparing this healthy recipe.
Method to Prepare Laphing Dough at Home
Below instructions are given to make laphing dough at home. It is as follows:
● Step 1: Make a dough using all-purpose flour. It should be neither too soft nor hard.
● Step 2: Now once your dough is ready you should cover it and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
● Step 3: One should transfer the dough to a big bowl and add at least 1-2 litres of water into it.
● Step 4: Now squeeze the dough in the water until the starch and gluten contents are separated properly.
● Step 5: To complete the process one should take out gluten and cover the scratch water. Now let the mixture rest for a minimum of 2-3 hours. Remember to get the best dough one should keep the dough overnight.
Method to Make Fillings and Chili Paste
● Step 1: Start the process by washing the gluten properly in water.
● Step 2: Add half a tablespoon of baking powder or yeast to the mixture.
● Step 3: Mix the contents properly and let them rest for at least 5-10 minutes.
● Step 4: Flatten the surface of the gluten using your fingers and place it on the steamer tray for 15 to 20 minutes.
● Step 5: Once your mixture is cooked it will look like fluffy bread. Now let it cool down and then cut it into fine pieces and keep it on the side.
● Step 6: To prepare the chili paste use at least 4 to 5 cloves of garlic and chop them. Now add 3 tablespoons of red chili powder, salt, Sichuan powder, monosodium glutamate and water and mix all of them properly to create a paste.
● Step 7: Last but not least add 100 ml of oil into it and now your red chili paste is ready.
Method to Wrap the Laphing Batter
● Step 1: Once the water and starch are separated from each other in the batter, you should drain the water carefully.
● Step 2: Now strain the starch until no gluten is left.
● Step 3: Add ½ tablespoon of turmeric and salt to the starch solution. Mix the ingredients well and now the batter is ready.
● Step 4: Take a flare plate, grease it with oil and add half the batter to it. Spread it evenly.
● Step 5: Place the batter on the steamer properly and cook it for at least 4 to 5 minutes on high flame.
● Step 6: Now take out the plate and place it under the cold water. One should peel off the batter using a spoon or knife and repeat the process.
● Step 7: Stake it together properly.
Method to Make Dry Laphing
● Step 1: Start the process by placing a wrapper on the chopping board.
● Step 2: Now spread the chili paste according to your taste.
● Step 3: Add gluten bread, soy sauce and vinegar. In addition, you can also add salt according to your taste.
● Step 4: Once the mixing of all the ingredients is done one should start rolling the contents to make a perfect roll.
● Step 5: Finally, to complete the roll cut it into 1 ½ inch pieces.
● Step 6: Serve it now as your laphing is ready.
Variations of Veg Laphing
There are many variations found in the laphing Tibetan food. One of the most popular variations of the laphing recipe is soup laphing and wai wai laphing.
Soup Laphing
To make soup laphing, you can follow the recipe given below. It is as follows:
● Once your contents for the laphing are ready your next step should be placing the wrapper on the board.
● Now roll the wrapper and fold it into half. Cut the slices of roll properly.
● Once ready, put the contents in a shallow plate or bowl.
● Add some gluten bread, soy sauce, vinegar, salt and chili paste. Remember to add one cup of cold water to it.
● Mix the contents well and serve it to your friends and family.
Wai Wai Laphing
Wai wai laphing or yellow laphing is a popular variant of this traditional dish. You can make this dish by adding crunchy wai wai noodles on top of freshly prepared laphing to get the oh-so-tasty perfectly steamed laphing. So, what are you waiting for? Try this variation now!
Expert Tips on Making a Laphing Recipe
Now that you know how to make laphing, we have still tried to mention certain expert tips that will help you in making this recipe like a pro.
1. One can add onions and tomatoes to the recipe to get the perfect mouth-watering taste.
2. Remember to check the temperatures while steaming the laphing recipe to get perfect gluten bread.
Now that you have a complete recipe as well as expert tips in hand, do prepare laphing recipe at home for your loved ones.
Notes on Making Veg Laphing
Veg laphing is a popular Tibetan dish that is made with extreme care and concentration. If you are preparing this dish for your loved ones or yourself then you should try to give a traditional Tibetan taste to it. So, let us discuss some notes that you should follow while making this recipe.
● In case while making laphing your wrapper cracks, then don’t panic. Instead keep the starch set for a longer time. An expert tip that you can follow is to keep the prepared solution overnight to get the best results.
● You can use Wai Wai noodles or any instant noodles for making the dish as well.
● To get a perfect taste in the veg laphing, you can add diced onions, tomatoes and other vegetables in the stuffing of gluten bread.
Conclusion
Laphing is one of the most popular street foods in Nepal, which has made its way into a populous country like India. A humble and nutritious concoction, laphing is perfect to relish on those cool wintery evenings.
FAQs
How did laphing get its name?
The original name of laphing is ‘Liangfen,’ which means cold noodles. It was introduced in Nepal after the Tibetan refugees travelled to the area. It is one of the most popular snacks available on the streets. One can easily make this recipe at home by using ingredients such as all-purpose flour, vegetables, oil, starch, gluten, etc.
What is the taste of laphing?
Laphing is a traditional food, which is spicy in flavor and slippery in its texture. It is generally served with soy sauce. It originated from Sichuan cuisine and was known as Liang Fen in Chinese.
How should I serve laphing?
One can serve laphing as a cold dish. It is a snack, which is called cold noodles. Laphing is prepared using moong dal, wheat and potatoes. One can serve the dish with red pepper, salt, vinegar and soy sauce.
What is the stuffing of laphing made of?
Some ingredients are used to make stuffing of laphing. Some of the chief ingredients are wai wai noodles, vegetables, soya bean, chili sauce, garlic sauce, Ajinomoto and salt. The detailed recipe for laphing is mentioned above.