Whole Wheat Lavang Latika | Bengali Labongo Latika

Lavang Latika is a rich, aromatic Bengali sweet made during Durga Pooja, also known as Labongo Latika. This rich, beautifully pocket-shaped dessert is made with whole wheat crust filled with a mixture of mawa and dry fruits. Seal with the clove and then deep-fried. Later coat them with sugar syrup and garnish with chopped dry fruits.

Whole wheat Lavang Latika is crunchy from outside and soft from inside with the delicious rich mawa filling.

Mishti doi, Sandesh or shondesh, malpua, rasmalai, kheer kadam, are some more Bengali Sweets Recipes to explore.

What is Lavang Latika?

Lavang Latika is an Indian Regional sweet prepare for festivals like Holi, Diwali, and Durga Pooja. Traditionally made with refined flour (all-purpose flour) and stuffed with a sweet filling of mawa & nuts. Its outer crust is crispy dipped in sugar syrup & inside has a juicy sweetened mawa filling.

It is called with many names like laung lata, laung Latika, labongo Latika, lavang lata, and laung Latika. In Bengali,  Labongo means "clove/lavang" which is an aromatic Indian spice, and used to seal the edges of lavang Latika. Clove gives a nice aroma to this delicious small pocket sweet.

Ingredients

Please check RECIPE CARD for detailed ingredients list with accurate measurement.

For The Whole Wheat Crust
1 Cup whole wheat flour
½ Cup oat flour
½ Cup refined flour
4 Tblsp ghee (clarified butter) or oil (for vegan version use oil)
1.5 teaspoon salt
Water to knead the dough

The Khoya/Mawa Filling
1 Cup tightly packed mawa/khoya/milk solids
½ Cup powdered sugar
12 Almonds chopped finely
10 Cashew chopped finely
10-12 Pista chopped finely
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
Cloves as needed to seal whole wheat lavang Latika

The Vegan Filling
1 Cup tightly packed grated coconut
½ Cup powdered sugar
½ Cup chopped nuts (almond, cashew, pista)
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
Clove as needed to seal whole wheat lavang Latika

Oil for deep frying

For The Sugar Syrup
1 Cup sugar
½ Cup water
½ teaspoon kevra essence  or 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
Few strands of saffron (optional)

One string consistency sugar syrup

Boil the sugar & water on a medium flame for about 4-5 minutes. The mixture will start thickening. With the spoon take a little syrup and let it cool down a bit.

Take it in your index finger and with the help of thumb pull it apart. If the thread or sugar string between your finger and thumb doesn’t break after pulling apart and forms 1 string, 1 string sugar syrup is ready. Take it off the flame and continue with the recipe.

How to make Lavang Latika

To start making the recipe I first prepared the dough as it needs some rest time. Meanwhile, make filling with khoya/mawa or vegan filling. Make 3" - 3.5" circles using a cookie cutter and make the shape. Deep fry and keep them ready. Make sugar syrup up to one string consistency and just coat them and transfer on a greased surface. let them dry.

So without further delay let see how to make this sweet pocket filled, Lavang Latika recipe at home with step-by-step instructions.

1. Prepare Dough- First of all, take a mixing bowl and add whole wheat flour, oats flour, refined flour, salt, and ghee (clarified butter) or oil.
2. Rub the mixture with your fingertips till all ghee is combined well and the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs texture.
3. Add water a little quantity at a time and knead the firm dough. Cover it with the damp cloth and keep it aside for 15-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Grate the mawa/khoya and roast it in a non-stick pan on low flame. Only 5-6 minutes are good enough to cook mawa.
5. Let it cool before adding sugar powder. Once khoya/mawa is at room temperature add all chopped nuts, powdered sugar, and cardamom powder. Mix well and khoya/mawa filling is ready to stuff.
6. To Make Vegan Filling- Dry roast the grated coconut for 2-3 minutes on low flame. Once the grated coconut is at room temperature add nuts, cardamom powder, and sugar powder. Mix nicely and vegan coconut filling is ready to make Vegan lavang Latika.
7. Divide the dough into equal portions like 1.5"-2" size balls. I used a cookie cutter.
8. Take one portion and roll it thin up to a 3"-3.5" circle. I normally roll it in a thin circle and then cut with the cookie cutter in order to get a similar shape every time.
9. Place 1-1.5 tablespoon mixture in the middle and fold two sides overlapping each other with the mixture at the center. It will look like a rectangle.
10. Repeat the same overlapping with the remaining two sides, like a book fold. Seal it with the clove in the center so that the folds do not open.
11. Similarly, make the rest of lavang Latika with the dough portions. Keep them ready.
12. Heat the oil in a kadhai on medium flame. Deep fry all whole wheat lavang Latika on medium-low flame till they turn golden brown. When they are in golden color transfer them to a kitchen towel.
13. Once all whole wheat lavang Latika are deep-fried, make sugar syrup.
14. To make sugar syrup add sugar and water in a pan and heat on medium flame. Cook for a 5-6 minute, add kewra essence and check for one string consistency.
15. Soak all deeply fried lavang Latika in the sugar syrup for a minute and transfer them on a greased surface. Once the syrup dries store lavang Latika in an airtight container. They are good to store up to 2 weeks.
16. Whole Wheat Lavang Latika is ready to serve on festivals likes Holi, Diwali, and Durga Pooja.

Vegan Lavang Lata

Making vegan lavang Latika is very easy to make. Just need a vegan filling and make a dough using oil. The rest of the process is the same.

Serving & Storing

Garnish them with chopped dry fruits & garnish with silver edible leaves. Serve these on festivals to your friends & family.

Store them in an airtight container once laung lata are at room temperature. They tends to absorb moisture quickly.

Tips & FAQ's

1. Carefully add water while kneading the dough. We need the firm and stiff dough to make whole wheat lavang Latika.
2. Lavang Latika can be stored for 2 weeks in an airtight container.
3. Deep fry them on low-medium flame. Otherwise, you will get the raw dough taste from inside.
4. Do not overfill the mixture, stick them nicely. They may open while deep frying if overfilled or not sealed properly.
5. You can also make the coconut filling instead of khoya/mawa filling to make Vegan Lavang Latika.
6. I used store-bought khoya/mawa. While roasting it did not melt much. After cooling down it has a crumbly texture.

Similar Indian festivals sweet recipes

You may also like other Indian festivals (Holi, Diwali) sweet recipes, Check 25+ Indian Diwali Sweets You Must Try

• Moong Dal Burfi
• Moong Dal Laddu
• Dry Fruits Laddu
• Besan sev
• Oats Mathri
• Makki ki mathri
• Mawa gujiya
• Dulce De Leche Coconut Ladoo
• Chocolate Burfi

You can also Festival savory and more Festival Sweets.

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