The motive behind starting this blog was, of course, to create and document as many SCD recipes as I can, so that it becomes easier to follow this unconventional diet plan that forbids the usage of most of the grains. But then there was also the idea of documenting the traditional Indian culinary secrets. In this era of internet cooking and a plethora of catered snacks, it is really difficult to imagine how the women of a bygone era spent the major chunk of their life, mastering the art of handcrafted sweets and savories.
Today, allow me to introduce you all, one of its kind, a masterpiece of handcrafted sweet snack (that's also very close to my heart) from the humble Bihari cuisine. Thekua, also known as khaboni in some regions, is one among the authentic pakwaans (gujhiya, khaja, anarsa) of Bihar. Although it is also made during various occasions, it is a must during the festival of chhatth (a festival in which one of the nature gods is worshipped, the sun god). Thekua is not too difficult to make but it does require a little practice, the right amount of moin (ghee mixed in flour), sugar and the right temperature for frying it.
There is so much more to Bihar than the defamed politics of the 90s. And it makes me cringe to see that people hardly know about its rich heritage, glorious history, culture, amazing people and its food. One of the oldest institutions of learning, Nalanda University, and Vikramshila universities are in Bihar. It is the place where Buddha got enlightenment. Bodhgaya, the famous tourist spot and pilgrimage of Buddhists is in Bihar. It is also the place where Mahavir, founder of Jainism, got enlightenment. If we go to the prehistoric period, regions of Bihar like Magadh, Mithila, Anga are mentioned in the religious texts and epics like Mahabharat and were always considered as the center of power, learning, and culture. It is also a birthplace of the tenth and last guru of Sikhism, Guru Govind Singh.
I can hardly stop myself from the topic of Bihar and it's culture. Moving on to the topic at hand, I made these thekua/khaboni a month and a half ago on the eve of Haritalika Teej, and since I didn’t have the thekua mold (known as sancha) that is used to give a nice palm tree impression on the top, I put vertical lines in order to make some design at least. But later when a friend remarked -- you made good day biscuit for prasad ;) I, then realized that it does look a lot like good day biscuits. Believe me, it’s nowhere close to those cookies in terms of taste and texture as well. What makes it stand out from the ordinary is the sweet aroma of saunf and elaichi.
*Please do check the notes.
