Thekua

Growing up, as I did, in what is now Jharkhand, I was seeped in Bihari culture long before I knew something called "culture" even existed. If Holi meant malpuas and dahi vada, even before Diwali got over, you started thinking of Chaat Puja and the thekuas that went with it. While the adventure of going with the large crowd of devotees to the nearest stream at sunset, and sneaking onto a rock and dipping your feet in the cold water gave you the greater thrill, you knew that there was an equally lovely treat to look forward to after you got back home.
I had forgotten all about thekuas, till a recent post, which opened the floodgates of my memory. Decades after I had last had one, I could actually taste the unique taste of thekuas. With a little bit of help from my friends at IFF, and by relying on my own memories, I managed to recreate something that tasted almost exactly like what I remembered it to be.

2 cups whole wheat flour (atta)

a pinch of salt 

4 tbsp ghee 

1/3 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar (you will have to adjust till you get the taste you want)

2 tbsp saunf powdered on a mortar and pestle

2 tbsp grated coconut

Water

Oil for deep frying

Add the salt and ghee to the flour, and mix well.

Add the powdered sugar, the ground saunf and the coconut, and knead till you get a stiff dough. You will have to keep adding the water a little at a time, and rely on instinct to get it right.

Taste a bit of the dough, and add more sugar if you feel you need it.

Roll out into thickish "rotis", and cut into circles (I used a bottle cap).

Heat the oil, and when a tiny piece of dough rises up immediately, reduce the flame and add the cut pieces. Fry in batches and drain on kitchen towels. Allow it to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.