Thekua (Bihari Sweet Wheat Cookies)

Illustrative stock photos, not this exact recipe. Photo credits are at the bottom of the page.

Thekua is a crisp, golden, lightly sweet cookie from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Whole wheat flour is bound with ghee and a jaggery (or sugar) syrup, flavored with fennel, cardamom and dried coconut, shaped and fried on low heat. It is commonly associated with the festival of Chhath Puja and is also eaten as a tea-time snack. Bihari cooking is often described as rustic and earthy, built on sattu (roasted gram flour), mustard oil and simple spice mixes. Read more in Indian regional cuisines.

The cookies are traditionally pressed with a carved wooden mold. A fork or a knife works at home.

Recipe label: Based on traditional technique. Photo: illustrative stock photo, not the finished dish from this exact recipe. Regional recipes vary by family and village.

Photo credits: Photo 1: Saveurs Secretes on Pexels; Photo 2: Jahra Tasfia Reza on Pexels; Photo 3: Jahra Tasfia Reza on Pexels. Free stock photos, used under the Unsplash or Pexels license and shown here as illustrations only.

Print Recipe

Thekua (Bihari Sweet Wheat Cookies)

Author: KP Cooking Method: Pan-Frying Cuisine: Bihar, Indian Courses: Dessert, Snacks Recipe Keys: B Budget-Friendly Vegetarian Meals

Prep Time 25 mins Cook Time 30 mins Rest Time 20 mins Total Time 1 hr 15 mins

Servings: 8

Description

Thekua: crisp, golden fried wheat cookies sweetened with jaggery and flavored with fennel, cardamom and coconut. A traditional Bihari festival sweet.

Ingredients

Servings

For the dough

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (atta) (about 250 g)
• ¹⁄₄ cup ghee (about 60 g, melted)
• ¹⁄₂ cup jaggery (about 100 g, grated, or use sugar)
• ¹⁄₃ cup water (about 80 ml, warm)
• 1 tsp fennel seeds (lightly crushed)
• ¹⁄₂ tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp dried coconut (grated, optional)
• 1 pinch salt

For frying

• 3 cups oil (about 700 ml, for deep frying)

Instructions

1. Warm the water and dissolve the jaggery in it, stirring. Strain to remove any impurities and cool until lukewarm.
2. Mix the flour, melted ghee, fennel, cardamom, coconut and salt in a bowl until crumbly like breadcrumbs.
3. Add the jaggery water gradually and knead into a stiff, firm dough. Do not make it soft. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
4. Divide into 12 to 14 balls. Flatten each into a disc about 6 cm / 2 1/2 in wide and 1 cm / 1/2 in thick. Press the surface with a fork or a wooden mold to make a pattern.
5. Heat the oil in a deep pan over low to medium heat to about 150 C / 300 F. Be careful with hot oil.
6. Fry the thekua in batches on low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, turning, until deep golden and crisp. Frying slowly cooks the inside through.
7. Drain on paper towels and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Note

Hot oil can cause severe burns. Keep the heat low so the cookies cook through without burning outside. Contains wheat gluten, milk (ghee) and coconut. Store in an airtight tin for about a week. They become crisper as they cool.