Lavang Latika | Diwali Sweet recipes

Lavang Latika is a popular bengali sweet, similar to our Suryakala and Chandrakala. I heard this for the first time when my co sister's mom made it and brought for us once. Generally she this sweet for Diwali. She is an expert in making this sweet and every year she brings a box full of this for her daughter, when she comes for vacation to chennai. Since we were in joint family we also eat this happily. I thought this a very complicated recipe and never asked her how she makes this. After a successful attempt of badusha during last diwali, i thought i will try this recipe of lavang latika.

To my surprise, the recipe was too simple to try. My co sister who is also an expert in making this sweet gave me the recipe and few you tube videos helped me how to fold lavang latika.

Actually there are 2 ways to fold this, i have given both the methods. To me both were easy only. This sweet was a super hit at home also i took for a friends meet too. Everyone liked it very much. I used my homemade khoya for this recipe. Check my diwali sweets collections too.

Lavang latika

Preparation Time : 20 mins | Cooking Time : 1 hour  |Yields: 18

For the outer layer 
Maida | All purpose flour   1 cup
Sooji|Rava   2 tsp
Salt   a pinch
Oil | Ghee   2 tsp

For the filling
Khoya    1 cup
Sugar     1/4 cup
Almonds or Pista or Cashew nuts  8
Fresh coconut | Kopra   2 tblsp
Cardamom   a pinch

For Syrup   
Sugar     1/2 cup
Water     1/2 cup

Other ingredients    
Oil     for deep frying
Cloves| Lavang   18(to seal the pockets)

Method:

• In a wide bowl add the flour, sooji and oil or ghee and salt. Mix well with your finger tips.

• Add little water to make it a soft dough. Let the dough be soft but not loose. Also do not make it too stiff and dry. Knead it nicely for 5 minutes and keep it covered.

• Crumble the khoya and slice the badam into fine pieces. I just coarsely pulsed it using mortar and pestle.

• In a pan add the sugar(1/4 cup, mentioned under "for filling") add 2 tblsp of water to this and allow the sugar to dissolve in water. Keep the flame low. 
• Add the crumbled khoya to this.

• When it starts becoming a whole mass add the coconut, cardamom powder and almonds. Instead of almonds you can add pista or cashews too. You can also add a combo of all these nuts too. 

• Cook this for 2  minutes in a low flame. This will come to a whole mass. Let the mixture has little moisture in that. Switch off the flame. 
• Keep the lavang ready.

• Now let's start making the sugar syrup for lavang latika.
• Dissolve the sugar in 1/4 cup of water and switch off the flame when it comes to one string consistency.  Cover it and keep. Before we put the fried pockets let us warm it up once.

• Divide the dough into equal lemon size balls.
• Take one small ball and dust it with plain flour.

• Roll this into a medium thick(not so thin or not too thick) discs, like how we roll for pooris.
• Place a tblsp of filling in the center.Do not spread it much. Also flatten it with your palm.

• Now to fold, bring both the sides together and over lap it.

• Now bring the other 2 sides together and over lap it. 

• Put the lavang in the center so that the filling will not open while frying in oil. 
• Even you can apply little oil on the ends to hold the edges tight. Gently flatten the pockets with your palm. 

• Keep this covered all the times. Heat oil for deep fry.
• When the oil is hot, keep the flame low.  
• Slowly put the lavang latikas inside the oil. Drop in batches. Do not over crowd the pan.
• After sometime gently flip it. If needed bring the flame to medium but if you feel again the oil is heating up more, bring it back to low. Else inside will not get cooked.

• Fry till golden brown and once done take it out from the oil and warm the sugar syrup slightly.
• Drop the lavang latikas inside the sugar syrup.

• Let this soak in the syrup for 2-3 minutes. Take it out from the syrup and arrange it on a plate. 
• Repeat this for the rest of the dough and filling.
• Let me explain the other method of folding now.
• Make a small disc (poori size) and keep the filling in the center.

• Bring the sides together and over lap it as we did in the first method.

• Now turn this upside down.

• Now bring  the other edges together and over lap it. You can brush the edges with little water for better sealing.

• Gently insert the clove in the middle.
• Flatten it gently with your palms.

• Deep fry this as mentioned above and put this in sugar syrup for 2-3 minutes and arrange it in a plate.
• Check out this video of how to fold the lavang latika.

• Whichever method you find it easier continue in that. I found both are easy and the lavang latikas came out very cute too.

  
Notes:

1. Always make the pooris medium thick and small.
2. If it is too thin the filling may come out from the oil while frying.
3. If it is too thick, it will take a lot of time to cook and also will be hard while eating.
4. This lavang latikas according to my cosister stays well for more than 2 weeks.
5. You can keep it in airtight containers and always handle with dry hands.
6. Instead of cooking the mawa in sugar syrup you can cook it in condensed milk too.
7. While eating you can take out the lavang and eat it. 
8. You can add dry coconut(kopra) for the filling instead of khoya.