Hard, pressed wheat and jaggery cookies made in a specific wooden mould — the sacred festival food offered during Chhath Puja, Bihar's most important festival.
Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour (atta)
3/4 cup jaggery — dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
3 tbsp ghee
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 tsp fennel seeds — coarsely crushed
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
Oil or ghee for deep frying
Method
Combine whole wheat flour, cardamom, fennel seeds and desiccated coconut.
Add 3 tbsp ghee. Rub into the flour until crumbly — this shortening creates the characteristic texture.
Add the dissolved jaggery water gradually, kneading into a firm, non-sticky dough.
The dough should be stiffer than regular roti dough.
Divide into small portions. Press into a thekua mould (wooden press mould) to create the patterned disc shape.
Or flatten each portion by hand to a round about 5 cm wide and 1 cm thick and press a pattern with a fork.
Heat oil or ghee for deep frying on medium-low.
Fry thekua on medium-low for 5 to 6 minutes turning regularly until deep golden brown and completely cooked through.
The low-medium heat is essential — thekua must cook slowly to become hard and crunchy all the way through.
Cool completely. The thekua hardens further as it cools and becomes very crispy.