Thekua
Veg
Vegan
Deep-fried cookies made from wheat flour, jaggery, grated coconut, and fennel seeds — moulded into decorative shapes using a carved wooden press and fried in ghee or oil until hard and honey-brown. The sacred sweet of Chhath Puja, offered to the setting and rising sun at the ghats of the Ganga and Sone.
Cuisines
Bihari
Maithili
Jharkhand
Best for
Snacks
Recipe
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 40 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 1 cup | whole wheat flour |
| 1/2 cup | jaggery |
| 1/4 cup | grated coconut |
| 1/4 teaspoon | cardamom powder |
| 2 tablespoons | ghee |
| as needed | water |
| for deep frying | oil |
Instructions
- 1 Grate the jaggery and dissolve it in a little warm water to make a syrup.
- 2 In a mixing bowl, combine whole wheat flour, grated coconut, and cardamom powder.
- 3 Add the jaggery syrup to the dry ingredients and mix well to form a dough.
- 4 Add ghee to the dough and knead it until smooth. Add more water if necessary.
- 5 Divide the dough into small portions and shape each into a flat disc.
- 6 Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat.
- 7 Fry the discs in batches until they are golden brown and crisp.
- 8 Remove the thekua from the oil and drain on paper towels.
Tips
Ensure the oil is not too hot to prevent burning the thekua. You can add fennel seeds for additional flavor.