Degchi
Laung (cloves)
Also written: cloves, lavang, lobongo
- Urduلونگ
- Hindiलौंग
- Banglaলবঙ্গ
Laung are cloves, the dried flower buds of a tree, sold as small brown nails. They smell strong and warm and a little medicinal, which is why recipes use only a few.
They are a whole spice, and they go into hot fat at the start with cardamom and cinnamon. Jorda Polao fries them with those two for 20 seconds, Morog Polao for 30 seconds, and Bhuna Khichuri adds them to the pot along with a bay leaf and ginger-garlic paste for a minute. In Masala Chai, cloves simmer in the water with ginger, cardamom and cinnamon for 4 minutes before the tea is added. Mutton Yakhni Pulao boils them in the stock for about an hour.
A little goes a long way. Too many cloves make a dish taste harsh and almost bitter, so count them out rather than tossing in a handful. They also do not soften, so most people spot them and push them aside while eating.
Keep them whole and in a closed jar, since ground cloves lose their punch quickly. If a recipe says garam masala, it already contains some, so do not add more on top.
Recipes that use it
10 of our 247 recipes call for laung (cloves). Here are a few to start with.
- Jorda (Sweet Yellow Rice)
- Morog Polao
- Bhuna Khichuri
- Masala Chai
- Mutton Yakhni Pulao
- Chingri Malai Curry (Prawns in Coconut Milk)