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Chhath Puja, one of the most popularly celebrated festivals in Indian states like Bihar, Jharkhand, and parts of Uttar Pradesh, this year starts from October 25th and concludes on October 28th. The four-day Hindu festival is dedicated to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya. Devotees observe a fast until evening and follow rituals such as Nahay Khay, Sandhya Arghya, and Usha Arghya.
While rituals can vary from region to region, one thing that’s a staple is the festive food. Traditionally, most snacks made for Chhath Puja, like thekua, tikri, puris, etc, are deep-fried. However, as the younger generation is moving towards a healthier lifestyle, you can always deep fry cooking with air frying. Thanks to Usha’s air fryer, you can achieve the same crunchy profile of snacks, all with minimal oil usage.
Thekua
Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons
Thekua is the crunchy biscuit-like Chhath Puja staple. It is traditionally made with whole wheat flour, jaggery, ghee, and can include additions such as cardamom and a hint of coconut. Kneaded into a smooth dough, it is then moulded into beautiful shapes. Changing the cooking process, you can air fry the thekua at 160-170 °C for about ten to fifteen minutes, and you’ll get the crispiest batch for Chhath Puja 2025.
Puris
Puris paired with kaddu ki sabzi or kale chane are some of the other popular Chhath Puja dishes. If you have been deep-frying the rolled-out puris until they are fluffy, there’s a healthier alternative available as well. All you need to do is brush each puri with minimal oil and place it in Usha’s air fryer. And in under ten minutes, your puris will puff up. Flip and air-fry for another 2-3 minutes, then serve hot.
Khaja
The flaky, mouth-melting sweet khaja is a favourite for people with a sweet tooth. But to enjoy them guilt-free, once you have the thin layers of the dough rolled and stacked, air fry in batches. You can set the temperature to 180°C, and let the khaja get its distinct flaky texture. In about ten minutes, your Chhath Puja staple will be ready to be savoured.
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Pakora
Image Credits: Freepik
If you’re preparing an elaborate spread for Chhath Puja, don’t miss adding assorted pakore to the platter. With basic kitchen ingredients like seasonal vegetables, besan, water, and your favourite spices. You can make a consistent batter with the besan, spices, and water, and fold in your choice of chopped vegetables. Arrange small portions of the mixture in the air fryer’s basket, let the Usha appliance do its magic, and enjoy the crispy munchies.
Kaddu Tikkis
Kaddu, or pumpkin, being the seasonal vegetable at the time of Chhath Puja, is used to make sabzis, snacks, and even desserts for the festival. Instead of the usual deep-fried cutlets, you can make the patties and cook them in Usha’s fryer. To make the tikkis even healthier, you can also add ingredients like pumpkin seeds, grated paneer, mashed dal, etc, to the tikki mixture before air frying.
