Lavang Latika (Baked Version)

Durga Puja is the one of the most famous festival celebrated in West Bengal state of Indian subcontinent and particularly in Kolkata, in honor of Goddess Durga during the period of Navaratri. The festival celebrates the victory of good over evil. Although this is celebrated for 10 days, but the main 5 days of Durga Puja, which starts from ‘Shoshthi (6th day)’ and ends on Doshomi (10th day)’, has a great significance in every Bengali’s life. According to the Hindu Mythology, Goddess Durga emerged from the collective energy of all Gods as an embodiment of Shakti or divine feminine power, to destroy demon Mahishasura who was blessed to not be defeated by any man or god. 

The festival is all about food, new clothes, dance, music and get-together. There are a variety of dishes which are prepared and relished during this puja season. From sweet to savory, veg to non-veg anyone can find all the tastes. Since Bengal is famous for sweets, so a variety of sweets are prepared these days like rasgulla, rasmalai, chhena Jalebi, misti doi, bhapa doi, kheer, sandesh, malpua, chumchum and lots more. Well since Durga puja is going to started in full phase, so here I have come up with a sweet dish from Bengali cuisine as Lavang Latika (Baked version).

This beautiful looking dish is stuffed with a mixture of sweetened mawa / khoya and dry fruits, sealed with a clove and finally coated with sugar syrup which makes it crusty from outside but soft from inside. Traditional method follows to deep fry these lavang latikas before the sugar coating. But here I have baked these goodies first instead of deep frying and then fully coated with sugar syrup. Some bengalis also are used coconut in the stuffing along with mawa, but it is optional totally. Since these are baked, so there is no worry of leaking of stuffing at anytime during cooking. The whole process is so easy to make and the dish taste really yummy. Also, these can be stored well for a week in fridge as well by keeping in an air-tight container.

So do try this sweet Bengali dish during this Durga puja. If you tried my recipe and enjoyed fully, then please share some pictures of your creation with me. Also give your valuable feedback either in the comment box below or tag me as #firsttimercook on Instagram. You may also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and can subscribe for free to get new recipes directly into your inbox 😊

Preparation Time : 15 mins  |  Cooking Time : 50 mins 

Ingredients :        

Ingredients	Measurements
All purpose flour (maida)	1 cup
Mawa	1 cup
Sugar	¾ cup
Dry fruit (cashew, almond) (roughly chopped)	2 tbsp
Cardamom powder	1 pinch
Water	2 tbsp
Oil	As needed
Salt	1 pinch
Clove	As needed

Method :

1. In a mixing bowl, take all purpose flour (maida), salt and 2 tbsp oil.
2. Mix well with finger tips till it resembles coarse breadcrumbs texture. 
3. Add water little by little and knead to make a firm and stiff dough. 
4. Cover the dough and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
5. Next take grated mawa in a nonstick pan along with 4 tbsp sugar.
6. Mix everything well and start cooking till slight color changes.
7. Add cardamom powder, chopped nuts and mix till a whole mass type mixture appear.
8. Turn off heat and allow the stuffing to cool down completely.
9. Preheat the oven at 180 deg C.
10. Now take the dough and again knead a bit.
11. Divide the dough into approximately 1-1.5 inch size balls.
12. Take one ball and start to roll like poori (3 inch size) over a floured surface.
13. Place 1 tsp of stuffing in the center and flatten a little without spreading much. 
14. First fold one side of the poori towards the center and then fold the opposite side towards the center so that both sides overlap each other with the stuffing at the center.
15. Then it will shape like a rectangle. 
16. Again fold the remaining two sides of the poori towards center overlapping each other.
17. Next insert a clove in the center so that sides’ll not open. Keep aside this lavang latika.
18. Make similarly lavang latikas from rest of the dough balls.
19. Place all the lavang latikas over a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
20. Brush each latikas with oil and bake for 30 minutes at 180 deg C.
21. Then continue baking at 200 deg C for 5 minutes more.
22. Meanwhile, in a pan make a mixture of 1/2 cup sugar with 1/4 cup water.
23. Turn on heat and make a syrup of 1 string consistency.
24. Drop the lavang latikas into the sugar syrup.
25. Allow to soak in the syrup for 1 minute. 
26. Drain out from the syrup, place on a plate and allow to cool. 
27. Store in an air-tight container and serve these scrumptious and delicious lavang latika whenever desired !

Notes :

• If the lavang latikas are refrigerated keeping in an air-tight container, then these can stay good for 1-2 weeks.
• Any other dry fruits can be added as desired.

PIN to read later :

This ‘Lavang Latika (Baked Version)‘ is contributed for 54th Healthy Wellthy Cuisines where the theme is ‘Mishti Dussehra at HW‘. Here are more similar recipes shared by our Healthy Wealthy Group members as Chaler Payesh, Patishaptas, Kala Jamun.