Air fryer recipe · Desserts & Bakes · Bihar
Thekua (Air-Fryer)
The wheat, jaggery and fennel cookie Bihari homes make for Chhath, the festival that follows Diwali. This air-fried version is for snacking; many families still fry thekua for the offering itself.
- 40 minTotal time
- 160°CAir fryer
- 6Serves
- VegetarianDiet
- BiharState
Part of the Diwali across India collection
Nutrition per serving
- 370kcal
- 4.6 gprotein
- 61.5 gcarbs
- 13.5 gfat
- 6.7 gfibre
Per serving, about 6 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- Whole wheat flour (atta)2 cups
- Grated jaggery3/4 cup
- Ghee1/4 cup + 1 tbsp for brushing
- Fennel seeds (saunf)1 tbsp
- Desiccated coconut3 tbsp
- Cardamom powder1/2 tsp
- Water1/3 cup
Method
Dissolve the jaggery
Warm the water and stir in the jaggery until it melts. Let it cool until warm. Hot jaggery water makes the dough sticky and hard to shape.
Rub in the ghee
Mix the atta, fennel, coconut and cardamom in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup ghee and rub it in well until the flour clumps when pressed. This rubbed-in ghee gives thekua its crumbly, crunchy bite.
Knead a stiff dough
Add the jaggery water a little at a time and knead into a stiff dough. It should be firmer than chapati dough. Rest it covered for 10 minutes.
Press the pattern
Roll small balls the size of a walnut and flatten each to about 8 mm thick. Press them onto a thekua mould, or mark lines with the back of a fork or a comb. The ridges help them crisp and hold the classic look.
Brush with ghee
Brush both sides lightly with the extra ghee. Arrange in a single layer in the basket with space around each one. Do not stack, as the hot air needs to reach every side.
Air-fry slowly
Air-fry at 160°C for 14 min, turning them once halfway, until deep golden brown. The low heat cooks the thick centre without burning the jaggery. They are soft when hot and turn crunchy once fully cool, so let them rest on a rack before storing.
