Thekua recipe | Thekua recipe with jaggery | Khajur recipe | How to make thekua

Diwali-Bhaidooj hustle is over and it is the time in eastern India to get ready to celebrate the most awaited Chhath puja which is almost about to end the rejoice of festive season since Navratri. On the holy occasion of Chhath puja celebration, I have come up with the recipe of thekua, a traditional Bihari food. Though thekua recipe is a beloved eastern Indian snacks recipe but many people of other regions of India are not aware of this term or dish.

What is thekua?

Thekua recipe is a deep fried Indian sweet cookie which has got a crispy outer layer and is soft at the centre. It is prepared with whole wheat flour and sweetened with either jaggery syrup or sugar syrup. In this preparation, a stiff dough is prepared and shaped with the help of wooden moulds. Then it is deep fried till golden brown in colour. Dry fruits, nuts, fennel seeds, cardamom powder are added into the dough for extra flavour and crunch. But they are not mandatory.

Thekua recipe is an asset recipe of Bihari cuisine and an indivisible part of Chhath puja celebration. It is an old traditional recipe which has been carried along from the ancestors and has been followed by generations to keep the ritual alive. So, thekua is always much more than a cookie. It contains the love, faith, effort of devotees and the blessings of God.

Thekua is known by different names in different regions. It is also popular as kajuria, Khajuria, thikari, khasta thekua, thokwa, khajoor or khajur and many more.

Thekua recipe with jaggery is also prepared as a healthy snack for teatime other than as prasad in chhath puja celebration for its irresistible taste and inimitable texture.

Khasta thekua recipe is hugely popular in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and few parts of Uttar Pradesh. In fact, it is also prepared the in terai regions of Nepal. Madheshi people in Nepal prepare it as well.

Chhath puja is mostly celebrated in eastern India, especially in Bihar and also in Mithila (Nepal). Chhath puja is an auspicious occasion of Hindu religion where devotees worship Surya Devata (Sun God) and his wife Usha who is also renowned as Chhathi Maiya (Mother Chhath). On this occasion, people thank God for their support and seek their blessings for future endeavours.

Chhath puja occurs twice in a year. The first one is known as chaitri chhath which is celebrated after Holi and the other is Karthik Shashthi which is celebrated for four days after Diwali. During this Chhath puja celebration, lot of rituals are included like fasting, desist on drinking water, take a dip in river or pond, meditate by standing in water for longer duration, pray to the rising and setting Sun and many more. During the chhath puja celebration, onion, garlic, non-veg food are strictly prohibited, and the food is prepared in separate utensils made of clay pots or iron to maintain the purity.

As a bong, I have grown up eating this delight. All thanks to our Bihari neighbours and friends who always used to give us generous amount of chhath puja prasad after completing all the rituals. My mom learnt to prepare Bihari thekua recipe from one of her Bihari friends and I learnt it from my mom.

Thekua recipe with jaggery is simple and easy to prepare. It requires very basic ingredients which are easily available in any Indian kitchen pantry. It requires only a bit of effort to make a tight dough and time to shape them. Other than these two things, it does not require any extra skill to prepare it. In fact, it could be a perfect recipe for a beginner.

Thekua recipe with step by step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instruction’ section of the recipe. Here, I have included all the tricks and tips to prepare perfect khasta thekua recipe. If you follow the step precisely then you will get perfect result.

Frequently asked question

Difference between thekua and khajur?

There is a very minute difference between khajur and thekua. Many people say that the pieces that are oval shaped and are prepared by hands are khajur and pieces which are shaped either by flattening with rolling pins or using moulds are thekua. Many people also say that khajur is prepared with sugar and thekua is prepared with jaggery.

Why my thekua is uncooked from inside?

If the temperature of the oil for deep frying the thekua is too high, then they get brown from outside quickly, but they won’t get cooked from the centre.

Why cracks occur in my thekua?

The dough prepared for thekua is tight. So, during the time of shaping the thekua, cracks occur. Its quite normal to have cracks in thekua.

How to shape thekua without mould?

Traditionally, thekua is shaped with wooden moulds. But it can be shaped without moulds too. It can be shaped with hand and designed with fork or toothpick. You can even roll the dough and cut with cookie cutter as well.

Why my thekua stick to the mould?

Before shaping the thekua, it is very important to grease the mould with either ghee or oil to resist the dough to stick to the mould.

Why my thekua gets soft?

To prepare khasta thekua recipe, it is very important to prepare a tight dough. If the dough becomes soft, then the texture of thekua won’t be crispy.

Can I make thekua with maida or all-purpose flour?

Yes, you can. But traditional thekua recipe is always prepared with whole wheat flour.

Shall I use dry fruits in thekua?

Yes, you can use dry coconut, dried dates, nuts into the thekua but always chop them to small size before adding. Or else you will face difficulty during the time of shaping the thekua.

But I strictly recommend not to use RAISIN for the recipe because raisin has the tendency to plump up during the time of frying which causes major cracks into the thekua. They also tend to plump up and come out of the thekua or get burnt while frying.

Are thekua vegan?

The answer is NO if you are using GHEE. But it can be prepared vegan by using any other cooking oil instead of ghee.

Can I bake thekua?

Yes, you can bake the thekua recipe in oven. But the best way of preparing khasta thekua recipe is to deep fry them. Deep fried thekua always give best texture.

How to store thekua?

Thekua has got a long life and so it can be stored for longer. Even without using any preservatives, thekua can be stored for long if it is kept properly. You can keep thekua in a cool dry place in an airtight container for couple of weeks.

Tips to prepare perfect thekua

How to make thekua?

To prepare the thekua recipe, first add measured amount of grated jaggery into one utensil and add small amount of water into it. Then switched on the flame in low and stir until the jaggery gets melted. Allow the jaggery syrup to cool down. If there are any impurities, strain them out from the jaggery syrup. This step is optional. In my jaggery syrup, I had no impurities. So, I have skipped this step.

Cut your preferable dry fruits and nuts into small pieces and keep them aside before adding to the thekua. Large pieces of them may become an obstacle to shape the thekua in proper shape.

Then in a large mixing bowl add whole wheat flour, semolina, desiccated coconut, fennel seeds, cardamom powder, chopped cashew nuts and mix all the dry ingredients.

Add generous amount of ghee and knead it evenly until crumbs occur. To make the dish vegan, you can use any non-scented edible oil instead of ghee. But in traditional Bihari thekua recipe, ghee is used for better flavour.

Add the jaggery syrup slowly, little at a time, into the wheat flour mixture and make a stiff dough. Then cover the dough completely with either wet cloth or cling film and allow it to rest for at least half an hour.

After this, knead the dough once more and pinch out small portion of it. If you have wooden moulds, then grease it with ghee and shape the thekua.

If you don’t have moulds like me then take small portion of the thekua dough in your hand and make a cylindrical shape with it. Then flattened them by pressing with your palm. Pinch both the ends and make leafy shape with it. Mark the leaf with the help of a toothpick.

You can also shape it flat round by pressing in your palms and marking them with a fork.

But make sure to cover the rest of the dough during the time of shaping thekua or else the dough will become hard.

Take a pan and add enough oil to deep fry the khasta thekua recipe. Put the flame in medium and check the temperature of the oil by dropping a small portion of the thekua dough in it. If it starts bubbling, then the oil is ready to fry the thekua. The temperature of the oil should be moderate, neither too hot nor cold.

Drop the shaped thekua one by one into the pan and fry them in medium low flame till crispy golden brown in colour. Don’t overcrowd the pan during the time of frying. Drain the excess oil and transfer the thekua on a tissue lined plate.

Ingredients:

• 1¾ cups Whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup Semolina
• ¼ cup desiccated Coconut
• 3 tablespoons Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds (Saunf)
• ½ teaspoon Cardamom powder (Elaichi powder)
• 10-12 Cashew nuts, small pieces
• ¾ cup grated Jaggery, tightly packed
• 110 ml Water (1 tablespoon less than ½ cup)
• Oil to deep fry the thekua

1. Add ¾ cup grated jaggery into a utensil and add 110ml water into it. Switch on the flame in low and stir it frequently until the jaggery gets dissolved. Keep the jaggery syrup aside to cool down completely before use.
   

   Note: If there are any impurities in the jaggery syrup then strain it before use.
   

2. Take a large mixing bowl and add 1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour, ¼ cup semolina, ¼ cup desiccated coconut, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon cardamom powder, 2 tablespoons chopped cashew nuts into it. Mix all the dry ingredients with a spoon.
   
   

3. Add 3 tablespoons ghee into the bowl and mix it evenly until crumbs occur.
   
   
   

4. Add the jaggery syrup (Step 1) slowly, little at a time, into the wheat flour mixture and make a stiff dough.
   
   

5. Cover the dough completely with either wet cloth or cling film and allow it to rest for at least half an hour.
   

6. Knead the dough once more and pinch out small portion of it in your hand and make a cylindrical shape with it. Then flattened them by pressing with your palm. Pinch both the ends and make pointed like a leaf. Mark the leaf with the help of a toothpick. Repeat the whole process and shape thekua with rest of the dough.
   
   
   

   Note: Cover the rest of the dough during the time of shaping thekua or else the dough will become hard.
   

7. Put a pan on flame and let it become completely dry.
8. Add enough oil to deep fry the thekua properly.
9. Put the flame in medium and allow the oil to become hot. The ideal temperature for frying khajur recipe is neither too hot nor warm. It should be moderate.
10. Put the thekua one by one into the oil and fry it in medium low flame. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
    
    

11. Fry them evenly till golden brown. Turn them in between on regular intervals to cook them evenly.
    

12. Drain the excess oil of the thekua and put it on a tissue lined plate. The tissue will absorb the excess oil of it.
    
    

13. Allow the thekua to cool down completely and store it in an airtight container.

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