Arsa Pitha

Crispy, deep-fried Jharkhand festival sweets made from coarse rice flour mixed with jaggery and black sesame seeds — shaped into rounds and fried in mustard oil until golden-brown and crackled on the outside, slightly dense and chewy within. Made for Chhath puja, weddings, and harvest festivals, arsa pitha can be stored for days and is exchanged as a gift between tribal households.