It was in Bihar that Buddha gained enlightenment and the people of this region are  largely vegetarian even though there are quite few that do enjoy the odd chicken and meat dishes. Bihar was ruled by the mighty Moghuls for eons their cuisine affected the Bihar style of cooking as much as their religion affected the Bihar style of worship. Wheat and rice are the staple foods of Bihar and Jharkhand and vegetables also thrive here. A typical Bihari meal could consists of dal, bhat (rice), phulka (roti), tarkari (sabzi) and achar (pickles) but as the seasons change, so does the Bihari food. One of the most interesting features

of Bihari cuisine, is the  panch phoran –  the famous five seed spice that consists of  fenugreek, nigella seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds and cumin seeds. Thekua is also known as khajoor and is a sweet, crispy biscuit made from whole wheat flour, sugar and chopped coconuts. It’s ideal to take on hikes for a nourishing treat because it lasts quite a few days.

Ingredients

• 400 g whole wheat flour
• 3 heaped tbsp grated coconut
• 375 ml water
• 250 g jaggery – or sugar
• 7 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed
• Ghee or vegetable oil

Method

• Mix the jaggery,  thewater and green cardamom into and boil for 20 minutes until a syrup is formed, set aside and allow to cool down.
• Mix  4 tbsp ghee, some of the jaggery syrup and the dessicated coconut and combine and to make a dough – similar to the dough made when making chapaatis.
• Use only as much syryup as required.
• Break off a piece of dough and press it flat with your palm against a floured surface – in India the use a saancha to make this.
• Deep fry it until is a reddish  brown.
• Remove from the oil, drain and set aside to serve when completely cooled down.