Thekua and Perukiya at Teej: The Sweets That Carry Bihar's Festival Spirit
Every festival in Bihar has a taste. For Chhath, it is the smoky sweetness of thekua fresh from the kadhai. For Holi, it is the rich, khoya-laden bite of perukiya. And when Teej arrives — the festival of fasting, devotion and the quiet strength of women — both of these sweets find their place on the plate once again.
If you have grown up in a Bihari household, you already know the feeling. The house smells of ghee and cardamom. Someone is pressing dough into wooden moulds. And somewhere in that warmth is the promise that the fast will end with something made by hand, made with love.
What is Teej, and why does food matter so much?
Teej is celebrated by women across Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, with married women fasting for the well-being of their families and unmarried women praying for a good life ahead. Many keep a nirjala fast — without even water — through the day. It is a festival of devotion, but also of togetherness: mothers and daughters, sisters and neighbours, gathering, dressing up, singing, and preparing food together.
And because the fast is so demanding, what breaks it matters enormously. The food must be nourishing, traditional, and made with care. This is exactly where thekua and perukiya belong.
Thekua: the sweet that means home
Thekua is arguably Bihar's most iconic sweet. Made from whole wheat flour, jaggery (or sugar), and pure ghee, then pressed into patterned moulds and slow-fried until golden, it is humble in its ingredients but deep in meaning. There are no preservatives, no shortcuts — just aata, gur, ghee, and the patience of the hands that make it.
At Teej, thekua carries a particular comfort. After a long day of fasting, a piece of jaggery thekua with a cup of tea is more than a snack — it is a return to childhood, to a grandmother's kitchen, to the taste of belonging. For Bihari families living far from home, in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore or beyond, that first bite can bring the whole festival rushing back.
Perukiya: the festive jewel
If thekua is the soul of Bihari festivals, perukiya (known elsewhere as gujiya) is the celebration. A crisp shell — made from refined flour or semolina — folded around a generous filling of khoya, dry fruits and coconut, then sealed by hand with that unmistakable crinkled edge. It is the sweet you make when the occasion is special.
Teej is exactly such an occasion. Perukiya's richness makes it the natural centrepiece of the festive plate, and its gifting appeal makes it perfect for the exchange of sweets between families — a gesture as old as the festival itself.
Sweets as a language of care
What makes thekua and perukiya so central to Teej is not just their taste — it is what they represent. Making them by hand, for the people you love, is itself an act of devotion, mirroring the spirit of the fast. And gifting them is a way of saying I thought of you, I made this for you, come share in the joy.
In a world of factory-made mithai, that meaning matters more than ever. A box of handmade thekua and perukiya is not just a sweet — it is a piece of Bihar, a memory of home, and a blessing passed from one hand to another.
Bringing Teej home, wherever you are
You may be miles away from Bihar this Teej, but the taste of it doesn't have to be. At Apna Swad, every thekua and perukiya is 100% handmade, made with pure desi ghee and zero preservatives, and prepared fresh to order — just as it would be at home.
This Teej, whether you are keeping the fast yourself, gifting to your family, or simply missing the flavours you grew up with, let the real swaad of Bihar find its way to your plate. Explore our handmade Teej sweets and gift boxes and bring the festival home.