Thekua Recipe for Chhath: Traditional Method and Tips

Thekua is the heart of Chhath prasad: a crisp, golden cookie of wheat flour and jaggery, fried in ghee and offered to Surya and Chhathi Maiya. Families make it a day or two before the festival so the Arghya basket is ready. In 2026 Chhath runs from 13 to 16 November, so this is the week to cook it. This guide gives a traditional thekua recipe with quantities, shaping and frying tips, and how to store the finished pieces.

Thekua recipe: ingredients (makes about 20 pieces)

• 2 cups (about 250 g) whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup (about 150 g) jaggery, grated
• About 1/3 cup warm water, to dissolve the jaggery
• 1/4 cup ghee for mixing into the dough
• 1/4 cup dry coconut (copra), finely grated
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• Ghee or oil for deep frying

No salt, onion or garlic is used. For the full list of items for the festival, see the Chhath Puja samagri list.

Before you begin: Chhath purity rules

Wash your hands and bathe before making prasad. Many families wash the wheat, dry it in the sun and grind it at home or at a clean mill, and use utensils kept only for puja. No one tastes the thekua before it is offered to the Sun.

Step-by-step thekua method

1. Make the jaggery water. Dissolve the grated jaggery in the warm water, stir until it melts, strain out any impurities and let it cool completely. Hot jaggery water makes the dough sticky.
2. Mix the dry dough. In a large bowl, combine the flour, ghee, grated coconut, fennel and cardamom. Rub with your fingers until the mixture holds together when pressed.
3. Knead a stiff dough. Add the cooled jaggery water a little at a time and knead into a firm, stiff dough, stiffer than roti dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
4. Shape the thekua. Divide the dough into lemon-sized balls, flatten each into a round, and press into a wooden thekua mould for the traditional pattern. Without a mould, press the tines of a fork or the back of a knife to make lines.
5. Fry slowly. Heat ghee or oil on medium-low heat. Fry a few thekua at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, turning gently, until deep golden-brown and firm all through.
6. Cool and set aside. Spread on a clean plate to cool fully. They turn crisp as they cool.

Tips for crisp, well-cooked thekua

• Stiff dough: a soft dough absorbs oil and turns chewy rather than crisp.
• Low heat: a very hot pan browns the outside while the centre stays raw.
• Do not crowd the pan: overcrowding drops the oil temperature.
• Taste of jaggery: use clean, good-quality jaggery. Add a little more for a sweeter thekua.
• Without coconut: leave it out if you wish, and add extra fennel and cardamom for flavour.

Storing and offering

Cool the thekua fully and store in an airtight steel or glass container. They keep well for about two weeks. Place the thekua in the bamboo soop for Sandhya Arghya on 15 November and Usha Arghya on 16 November, and share the rest as prasad after the puja. Learn why Chhath is observed in Chhath Vrat Katha: the story of Chhathi Maiya and Surya, and see the Chhath Puja 2026 guide for the ritual order. See the Chhath Puja page for dates through 2027.

Frequently asked questions