If the "Chhathi Maiya" song from "The Vvaan" has you thinking about Chhath Puja this week — whether you grew up with it or you're discovering it for the first time — you've probably also wondered what the puja's prasad actually looks like in real life. Here's the honest, unglamorous version, and how to get the real thing if you can't make it yourself this year.
The soop: what actually goes into it
Every Chhath household prepares a soop — a bamboo winnowing tray — loaded with offerings for the sunrise and sunset arghya. Seasonal fruit, sugarcane, coconut, and other items vary by family and region, but one thing doesn't change: thekua sits at the center of it, non-negotiable, in every single one.
Thekua itself is simple in its ingredient list and demanding in its technique: whole wheat flour, jaggery (never refined sugar, in the traditional version), and pure ghee, hand-shaped with a wooden mold or by hand, then slow-fried until it turns a deep, even golden-brown without burning. Done right, it should be dense, slightly crisp on the outside, and hold its shape for days without turning soft or stale — because it needs to survive being made in advance, transported, and offered over the course of the festival.
Why it can't be rushed — or skipped
There's no shortcut version of proper thekua. Rushed frying leaves it raw in the center or bitter on the outside; the wrong jaggery-to-flour ratio leaves it either too hard or too soft to hold together. This is exactly why thekua-making is traditionally a whole-household affair — hours of work, usually starting a full day before the puja itself, with everyone from grandmothers to kids pitching in to shape it in batches.
For anyone living away from a Bihari kitchen — whether that's a few states away or a different country — that's the piece of Chhath that's genuinely hard to replace. You can source seasonal fruit almost anywhere. Getting thekua made properly, in the quantity a real puja needs, without the years of technique behind it, is a different problem.
The part we can actually help with
Kasaar makes thekua the traditional way — small batches, real jaggery, pure desi ghee, no shortcuts and no preservatives — for exactly this situation: people who want an authentic Chhath prasad but can't make it themselves this year, or want to make sure what's on their soop is the real thing.
If "Chhathi Maiya" has put Chhath on your mind this week, this is the part of the festival worth actually acting on — not just watching.
Order authentic Bihari thekua for this Chhath →
Ek Bite, Ek Yaad — Bihar ka apna swaad.
Frequently asked questions
What is thekua made of?
Traditional thekua is made from whole wheat flour, jaggery, and pure ghee, hand-shaped and deep-fried until golden brown. It's the primary prasad offered during Chhath Puja.
Can thekua be bought online instead of homemade?
Yes — brands like Kasaar make thekua using traditional ingredients and technique (real jaggery, pure desi ghee, no preservatives) and deliver it for Chhath Puja and everyday occasions.
How long does thekua stay fresh?
Properly made thekua, fried until fully cooked through, is dense enough to stay fresh for several days without refrigeration — which is part of why it's traditionally made a day or more in advance of the puja.
Related reading
Shop Kasaar Thekua · Desi Ghee Thekua · What Makes Thekua Authentic: A Buyer's Guide · Inside the Kasaar Kitchen
