Thekua
The festival of Rakhi is just round the corner, whipped up a batch of Thekua”, scrumptious whole wheat cookies crispy, crunchy sweet in taste, with delightful flavours to please your taste buds.This recipe is picked up from the range of Bihari sweets and desserts, traditionally prepared on Maharparv in Bihar, Jharkhand & Uttar Pradesh, besides being popular in regions of Nepal.
Equipment
- Heavy bottom wide pan or Indian Kadhai for frying
Ingredients
- 500 grams whole wheat flour
- 300 grams brown sugar or adjust to taste
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
- 1 tsp powdered green cardamom
- 1 tsp fennel seeds mortar pestle(optional)
- 3-4 tbsp clarified butter or desi ghee
- Oil to fry or bake
- Water as needed
Instructions
- Place a deep-bottomed pan on medium flame, boil 2 cups of water in it. After a boil, add brown sugar in the boiling water and stir till it melts, remove from heat and rest the pan aside.Allow the syrup to cool at room temperature.
- Next place a dough kneading plate or container and add wheat flour in it along with grated coconut, fennel and cardamom powder. Mix well and then add the sugar syrup in batches to knead the dough. The final dough should not too soft otherwise your Thekua will be like fried Indian bread.
- When the dough is ready, make small balls with your hands. Press them flat, you can use a cookie cutter ,thekua mould or handcraft with your favourite kitchen tool to give them shape. Be free to embross Thekua with your artistic culinary skills.
- Place a heavy bottom wide pan or kadhai on high flame and heat oil in it. When the oil is hot enough, add a flattened piece of designed dough and deep fry them till golden brown in colour. You must keep the flame low so that the Thekua is cooked from inside. Repeat the procedure and deep fry the remaining dough balls.
- Thekua is ready, cool them at room temperature and store in air-tight containers. They can be stored for up to two-three weeks.
Notes
Use of fennel is optional, simply accentuates the taste of Thekuas.
I personally prefer to mortar pestle my green cardamom after removing the green husk, as adds more flavour and aroma, one can use market bought cardamom powder too.
Another reason to mortar pestle fennel and cardamom is to adjust the powder texture, prefer grounded and not like a airy powder as am lover of textures.
Moreover love to see those crushed cardamom bits on the kneaded dough. I have fried my Thekua, adjust the oil content depending on your technique of cooking, when frying the wheat cookies should immerse completely in the hot oil. On the other hand if baking lot less oil is needed. Jaggery can be used, as healthy sweetening option please taste as the jaggery to adjust sweetness.
Moreover love to see those crushed cardamom bits on the kneaded dough. I have fried my Thekua, adjust the oil content depending on your technique of cooking, when frying the wheat cookies should immerse completely in the hot oil. On the other hand if baking lot less oil is needed. Jaggery can be used, as healthy sweetening option please taste as the jaggery to adjust sweetness.