A small pastry shell made from maida dough, filled with khoya and coconut filling, sealed with a clove pushed through the fold and deep-fried then dipped in sugar syrup. Named for the clove (lavang) that seals it. A sweet of Gwalior and Bhopal.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
1.5 cups maida (refined flour)
3 tbsp ghee
a pinch of salt
cold water — about 1/3 cup
12 to 14 whole cloves (lavang) for sealing
oil for deep frying
For the filling:
150 g khoya — crumbled and warmed 2 minutes on low heat
2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp pistachio — very finely chopped
For the syrup:
1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup water, 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
Method
Make pastry dough: Mix maida, ghee and salt. Rub ghee into flour until crumbly. Add cold water gradually — about 1/3 cup — to form a firm, smooth dough. Minimal kneading. Rest 15 minutes covered.
Make the filling: Mix warmed crumbled khoya with fresh grated coconut, powdered sugar, cardamom and finely chopped pistachio. Mix well. Cool completely. Divide into 12 to 14 portions.
Make the sugar syrup: Combine sugar and water. Heat to dissolve. Boil 3 to 4 minutes to single-string consistency. Add cardamom. Keep warm.
Roll the pastry: Divide the dough into 12 to 14 equal balls. Roll each into a small rectangle or oval about 8 cm x 5 cm and very thin — about 1.5 mm.
Place filling and fold: Place one filling portion slightly off-centre on the pastry. Fold one side over to cover the filling. Press the three open edges firmly to seal.
Seal with a clove: Push one whole clove through the folded corner (the top fold) like a pin to seal and decorate. This is the defining feature — the clove (lavang) that gives the sweet its name.
Heat oil for slow frying: Heat oil to low-medium temperature. Test — a piece of dough should rise slowly in 4 to 5 seconds.
Fry slowly until golden: Fry 3 to 4 at a time for 8 to 10 minutes on low-medium heat, turning gently, until deep golden all over.
Soak in syrup: Immediately transfer to warm sugar syrup. Soak 1 to 2 minutes.
Cool and serve: Place on a plate. Cool 10 minutes. The pastry will be glazed, slightly crunchy outside and the clove on top adds both a distinctive flavour note and a distinctive appearance.
Note: Lavang Lata is associated with the royal culinary traditions of Gwalior and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. The use of a whole clove as a both a sealing mechanism and a flavour element is a sophisticated technique that reflects the influence of Mughal court cooking on central Indian sweets. It is made for Diwali, Holi and wedding celebrations across both cities.