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Amidst the Chhath festival being celebrated with great pomp in Bihar, Jharkhand and Eastern Uttar Pradesh, preparations for Prasad are in full swing in every house. The sweetness of ‘Thekua’, the special prasad offered to Sun God and Chhathi Maiya, not only enhances the taste, but is also considered a symbol of the sanctity of the worship. According to experts and folk traditions, Thekua is made without salt and sugar, which follows the strict fasting rules of Chhath. Come, let us know in detail about its easy recipe and its importance in Chhath, which keeps the centuries-old cultural heritage alive.

Thekua is the main prasad of Chhath Puja, which is a sweet dish prepared from jaggery and rice flour. It is also called ‘Jaggery Kheer’ or ‘Rice Tikki’, but traditionally it is small round shaped tikkis. Chhath Vrati women (those observing fast) make it during Nirjala Vrat, and it is offered in a bamboo basket (daura) at the time of sunrise and sunset arghya.

‘Thekua’ is mentioned in Sarada Sinha’s songs.

According to folklore, Thekua is made to please Chhathi Maiya, who blesses the happiness and prosperity of children and family. ‘Thekua’ is also mentioned in the Chhath songs of Bihar’s famous folk singer Sharda Sinha, which makes it a cultural heritage. Nutritionist Dr. Renuka Singh (Patna Medical College) says, ‘Thekhua provides iron from jaggery and carbohydrates from rice, which provides energy after the fast. It is gluten-free and vegetarian, which is also healthy.

Importance of Thekua in Chhath

Chhath Puja, a symbol of Sun worship, is a festival of four days in which Nahay-Khay, Kharna, Sandhya Arghya and Usha Arghya. Thekhua is mainly offered at the time of Kharna (second day) and Arghya. Sun has been considered the source of life in the Vedas and Puranas. Thekua, being made of jaggery, is a symbol of ‘sweetness’, which wishes for happiness and peace in life. By offering this prasad to Chhathi Maiya (power of nature), the fasting person prays for the birth of children, prevention of diseases and protection of the family. Now it comes to making it, so let us know the method of making it.

Material:

Rice flour: 2 cups (freshly ground, do not use market)

Jaggery: 1.5 cups (grated)

Ghee: 2-3 tbsp (pure desi)

Cardamom powder: 1 tsp (optional)

Water: As required (to dissolve jaggery)

Dry fruits: Cashews, raisins (for decoration, optional)

Step-by-Step MethodPrepare jaggery syrup: Put jaggery in 1 cup of water in a pan and cook on low flame. When the jaggery dissolves completely and the syrup becomes a string (about 10-15 minutes), turn off the flame. Filter it so that impurities are removed.

Knead the dough: Add a little jaggery syrup to the rice flour and knead a soft dough. If the dough seems dry, add some hot water. The dough should not be too tight, otherwise thekua will become hard. Keep covered for 10 minutes.

Give shape: Make small balls of dough, press with palm to shape round tikki (about 2-3 inches). Make a slight depression in the middle with your finger so that the ghee gets applied properly.

Fry or Fry: Heat ghee on an earthen stove in the traditional way. Fry thekua on medium flame until golden brown on both sides (5-7 minutes per side). You can also do it on gas, but the taste of the stove is different.

Decorate and cool: Take out and sprinkle cardamom powder, garnish with dry fruits. Let it cool completely, wrap it in a clean cloth and keep it for Prasad.

tips

There should not be a house with garlic and onion during Chhath, hence take care of purity.

Thekhua remains fresh for 4-5 days.

If jaggery is less sweet then increase the quantity.