Ledikeni- Know The History Behind This Mispronounced Bengali Sweet

Kolkata- renowned for its rich heritage and culture, the city is famous for its delightful dishes like macher jhol, aloo posto, luchi, mishti doi and more. But have you ever heard about one of Kolkata’s delights Ledikeni? This dish might give a trip down to your memory lane as it’s reminiscent of gulab jamun but Bengalis carry a soft spot for this sweet. This close relative of Gulab Jamun is said to have colonial ties and its pronunciation holds the actual charm. Ledikeni is prepared with chhena which almost every Bengali sweet uses in its preparation. Although gulab jamun is round in shape, ledikeni is elongated like a fat finger which also resembles sweet lyangcha. This sweet delicacy is rolled in a cylindrical shape, deep-fried to perfection and soaked in sugar syrup for a delightful taste. The origin of Bengali dish was first made in the 19th century by Bhim Chandra Nag and the dish still carries the legacy of Bengal. History says various states prepared dishes for Lady Canning’s birthday in 1858. Created in honour of Lady Charlotte Canning, wife of Charles Canning, the first viceroy of India. The creation of the sweet dish by a local confectioner was a great tribute to the Viceroy’s wife.Also Read: Five Kochi’s Oldest Outlets You Need To Visit During Your Kerala TripLady Canning’s regular feasting routine incorporated this sweet and fond name of Lady Kenny settled as a mispronounced version. The locals started calling it as Ledikeni and given her influence, this sweet continues to be one of the popular dishes since the day it was first made. According to some sources, the sweet shop that served this delightful dish is carried by the sixth generation. "This sweet is a perfect example of mispronounced misery turning totally into something else. From Lady Canning to Ledikini is surely a huge jump and yes I surely think that since it became from easily spoken by people, this could have contributed to its popularity. Canning to Keni made all the difference", says Mohua Das, Food anthropologist and Gastronome.

The original recipe is preserved by the founders of the dish and the way it is incorporated into every festivity continues to highlight its significance beyond its colonial origins. Although the fascinating journey of Ledikeni shows the relationship between the British and Bengalis as it stood the test of time.Also Read: Ellu Thuvaiyal- A South Indian Style Sesame Seed Condiment To Pair With Idli-Dosa, Recipe Inside As per Mohua Das, "Ledikeni, the longish sweet actually draws much similarity in look and taste to the Gulan jamun and Pantua but still it is different. Unlike pantua, which is typically dark brown, or gulab jamun, which is round, ledikeni has an elongated shape resembling a plump finger, similar to the sweet lyangcha. However, ledikeni stands apart from lyangcha with its distinctive reddish-brown hue, and it is the sugar syrup that gives it its unique character, setting it apart from its sweet cousins."

Ledikeni RecipePrepped with a blend of simple ingredients, follow these easy steps and make this Bengali sweet at home. Ingredients

• 3 cups chhena
• 3 cups sugar
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup sooji
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp cardamom seeds
• 50g nokuldana
• 25g khoya
• Ghee for frying

MethodStep 1: In a mixing bowl, add chhena, breadcrumbs, cardamom seeds, ghee and sooji. Prepare a smooth dough and take khoya and fill with nokuldana. Cover it with chenna mixture and make a cylindrical shape.Step 2: In a pan, heat water and add sugar. Bring it to a rolling boil and prepare the sugar syrup. Let it cool at room temperature and keep it aside.Step 3: Heat ghee in a pan and deep-fry the nokuldana stuffed cylindrical and elongated Ledy Kenny. Stir the balls to fry them evenly from all sides. Dip the fried balls into warm sugar syrup and allow them to soak in the syrup for an hour. Serve and enjoy!