khajur recipe (thekua recipe)

Thekua or Khaju is one of the most loved sweet snacks in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, specially made during festive occasions like Chhath Puja. Jaggery is commonly used to sweeten thekua, which is customarily cooked on a clay burner. Sugar can be used if one is not making it for the festival. It is a snack that is similar to a flat, crisp biscuit and can also be eaten as a dessert.

Thekua or khajur snack’s recipe only calls for three ingredients and is quite straightforward. Basically, melted sugar or sugar syrup is combined with wheat flour and a substantial amount of ghee to make the dough. The dough must be tightly rolled out before being molded into the proper form and covered with the necessary design. Then it is deep-fried in ghee or even cooking oil until it turns crunchy or a reddish-golden color. These snacks are distinctive because they are deep-fried as opposed to ordinary cookies or biscuits, which are often baked in ovens.

Ingredients for khajur recipe (thekua recipe)

• 500 Gram whole wheat flour
• 6 tablespoons Ghee
• 6 tablespoons dry coconut (grated)
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• ½ cup Sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 tsp fennel / saunf
• Almonds and cashew nuts
• 1.5 cups cooking oil/ghee for frying

Instructions for khajur recipe (thekua recipe)

1. firstly, in a large mixing bowl take 500 Gram wheat flour.
2. also add 2 tsp fennel, ½ tsp cardamom powder, and 6 tbsp dry coconut or desiccated coconut
3. Mix well.
4. Melt 3 tablespoons ghee (25 grams) until hot. Add hot ghee to the dry ingredients.
5. Crumble and mix well making sure the dough holds shape.
6. When you press the mixture it should form a lump and not fall apart.
7. Set aside
8. now prepare sugar water by heating ½ cup sugar in ½ cup water.
9. stir well until the sugar dissolves completely.
10. Once the sugar is melted, switch off the burner and put down the pan.
11. Add hot sugar solution to the flour, working in small batches.
12. Keep on adding the sugar solution and mixing. Continue until all of the sugar solution has been added.
13. Then mix and begin to bring the entire dough together and knead lightly.
14. Make sure the dough is not too soft.
15. When the dough is ready, make small balls with your hands. you can alternatively use thekua mould to shape them.
16. Flatten lightly with your palms or with a rolling pin.
17. Make patterns on the pressed dough using a fork or a toothpick or a bamboo skewer. You can make any patterns you like!
18. Now, put a kadhai on high flame and heat oil in it.
19. Then lower the heat to low or medium-low and gently place the thekua in hot oil.
20. You must keep the flame low so that the Thekua is cooked from the inside.
21. When one side is golden, gently turn it over and fry the second side. flip over gently as they will be very soft.
22. Turn over a couple of times and fry till golden and crisp.
23. drain off and cool completely. thekua will be soft when hot, it turns crisp once cooled completely.
24. Repeat the procedure and deep fry the remaining dough balls.
25. Serve thekua as a tea-time snack or to celebrate chaath puja. Enjoy!

FAQs

Why my thekua is uncooked from the 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.

How to shape thekua without mould?

Thekua is traditionally fashioned using wooden moulds. However, it can also be fashioned without moulds. With a fork or toothpick, you can design it and mould it by hand. Even better, roll the dough out and use a cookie cutter to make shapes.

How come my thekua adheres to the mould?

Greasing the mould with ghee or oil before shaping the thekua is crucial to prevent the dough from sticking to the mould.

Will the thekua bake?

Yes, you can bake the thekua recipe in the oven. However, deep frying is the ideal method for making khasta thekua recipe. Thekua always has the best texture when deep-fried.

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 and variations

• firstly, prepare with half maida and half wheat flour for more flaky texture.
• For the perfect outer crisp, it is very important to add generous amount of ghee or oil during the time of making the dough.
• Easily scale the recipe and make a small or large batch.
• If dough looks crumbly and dry, add a few tablespoons of water. If the dough has become sticky or too soft, add a few tablespoons of flour.
• also, fry the thekua in ghee for more rich flavour.
• You can also add some saffron milk to make it more flavoursome.
• additionally, deep fry in low flame, else it will not turn crisp.
• furthermore, replace sugar with jaggery as a healthy alternative