Bihar is renowned for being rooted in civilization and a land of sacred soil, producing the first crop ever. Apart from the historical significance, the agriculturally rich state holds treasured and authentic recipes that are as old as 2000 years. The plethora of desserts in Bihar is what makes it more intriguing. We have heard a lot about the Bihar-born Khaja and Balushahi. Laung Lata, a dessert, is less well known, though.
The name comes from the word "laung," which means clove, and which plays an essential role in the making of launglata, or launglatika. It is a stuffed street food delicacy hailing from North India. The dessert is popular in states like Bihar, Bengal, and other North Indian regions. In each state, subtle alterations are made that make the dessert exceptional.
This sweet is coated with sugar syrup and is crisp and crusty from the outside; it is made using all-purpose flour. The dessert is stuffed with khoya, or mawa, and mewa, or dried fruits. To begin with, the dough is rolled out and made into flatbread. Then it is stuffed with the fillings, which are placed in the middle. The dough is then folded repeatedly until the filling is entirely encased. One or two cloves are pinned at the top to hold the folds of the pastry intact and impart a distinct sweet flavour not only to the sweet but also to the ghee that it is fried in. They are then deep-fried in oil or ghee until they are golden brown and crispy. Lastly, it is dunked in sugar syrup to cool down and absorb the syrup before being served.
Take a look at how to make launglata at home:
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups refined flour
- 10-12 cloves
- ¼ teaspoon rose essence
- 3 to 4 tablespoons ghee for deep frying
- 100 g of raw khoya
- 1 tablespoon Bombay rava
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 cup sugar dissolved in ½ cup water
Method:
- Boil sugar in ½ cup water until it reaches syrup consistency. Add rose essence and mix well.
- Now knead the flour, ghee, and the required amount of water into a stiff dough.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 15 minutes. Heat sufficient ghee in a kadai.
- Add rava and cardamom powder to the khoya and set it aside.
- Knead the dough once again and make small balls out of it.
- Make it into flatbreads and moisten it with water.
- Place the filling in the middle and enclose it on each side of the flatbread. Seal it with a clove.