Thekua

Thekua or Khajuria or Thikari is a dry sweet from Nepal. It is very popular in Southern Nepal and in Indian regions such as Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh (Purvanchal).Thekua is a revered prasad (offering to god) in the Chhath puja. It has been used as a sweet snack for centuries in these places.The main ingredients of Thekua are wheat flour, chasni (melted sugar)and ghee. Jaggery can sometimes be used as an alternative to sugar. Dough is prepared using these four main ingredients and cardamom can be added to enhance the taste. Dough is deep fried in ghee or vegetable oil till it becomes reddish brown. It is soft when hot but hardens after it cools. It needs no preservatives and it can be stored for several days for eating purpose.Normally there are two variants, the people in North bihar prefers the ones which are harder(Khajuria) and have a longer shelf life, whereas people in Eastern UP prefer it softer(Thekua). People in Nepal prefers both combined. The soft Thekuas are made of refined vegetable oils and have more of a special type of Flour, maida - which is actually roasted Wheat flour.It can be viewed as a Maithil precursor of Western Biscuits or cookies.