Labongo Latika is a kheer (thicken milk solid) stuffed crunchy and flaky pastry. It is kind of in-between Jeev e Gaja (a fried wide folded flour pastry) and Baklava. I do not know why it is called labongo (Clove) Latika (climber). I think that it got its name as after putting the kheer stuffing in the pastry folds a clove is used to secure the pastry fold.😁 When I was frying I saw that the labongo takes a big role to secure the pastry at the same time it gives a pungent clove aroma to the top part of the pastry.
It is a very traditional dessert of Bengal. It is generally prepared during festivals and especially Durga puja and Diwali time. As a Bengali, I kind of grew up eating this sweet during the festival time. So I thought of making this sweet in my own way that I like. I used Pistachio to make the stuffing.
Prep time: 60 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
Serving: 12
Ingredient :
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoon of ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold water
15 standard size Pre-made rasogollas squeeze the syrup out
1/2 cup Mawa powder
1/2 cup condensed milk
2 tablespoon pistachio socked in water and make a pest
1 tablespoon finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
12 to 15 whole clove
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon of ghee (clarified butter)
Vegetable oil to fry
Method :
Make the Dough :
In a mixing bowl, mix the flour and the ghee together.
After mixing make a fist the four ghee mix will keep the shape.
Add cold water little by little and make a soft dough.
Cover the dough with a damp towel and leave it for 15 mins.
Making the stuffing:
To make the stuffing, Take the rasogollas and give 3 to 4 pulses in the grinder and make a coarse paste.
Take that paste in a saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high.
Add pistachio paste, condensed milk, mawa powder, chopped pistachios, and cardamom powder.
Cook for 10 mins and cook off all the liquid and make a dry consistency like this.
Turn off the heat and let it cool.
Then divide it into 12 portions.
Make the Syrup ready:
In a saucepan, take water and the sugar and bring it to a boil.
Cook for a few min to get little sticky consistency.
Add the ghee to the syrup ( this gives the aroma of ghee with frying them in ghee)
Turn off the heat and set it aside.
Making the Labongo Latika:
Divide the dough into 12 small pieces.
Take a small piece and roll it like a flatbread.
Then put a portion of stuffing on the middle of it.
And fold it into a packet and secure it with a Labongo (Clove).
Do the same process and make all of them ready to fry.
Fry them in vegetable oil in low to medium heat.
Fry them until they are golden brown.
After frying put them in the sugar syrup.
Let them soak properly for 1 to 2 min each side and take it out.
Serve the Labongo Latika warm or room temperature - It's yummy.