Chef Rachna Prasad is a food curator and consultant, a regional cuisine expert in Bihari cuisine, and the founder of Ambrosia Kitchen. Known as “Ek Ladki Bihari”, she works to revive Bihar’s culinary legacy through pop-ups, festivals, and collaborations. This festive season, she shares three traditional sweets: crisp, syrup-dipped Maath, glossy Nariyal Ka Lachcha and nutty Sweet Sattu Ladoo. They are recipes of the kind she describes as whispered through generations and preserved with love, and they suit any celebration.
3 Festive Sweets by Chef Rachna Prasad
Maath
Ingredients
For the Maath
500 g maida
100 g ghee
½ tsp salt
180–220 ml water, or as required
Ghee or oil, for deep-frying
For the Sugar Syrup
400 g sugar
200 ml water
4–5 green cardamoms, crushed
1 tsp rose water or kewra water (optional)
A few saffron strands (optional)
Method
- Mix maida, salt, and ghee; gradually add water to make a firm dough. Rest for 20 minutes. Shape into thick discs, prick lightly, and deep-fry on low-medium heat until crisp and golden.
- Prepare a one-string sugar syrup with sugar, water, and cardamom. Briefly dip the fried Maath in the warm syrup, remove, and garnish with almonds and pistachios (Optional) until set.
Nariyal Ka Lachcha
Ingredients
- 2 fresh coconuts, grated into long, thin strands
- 400 g sugar
- 200 ml water
- 4–5 green cardamoms, crushed
- 1 tsp rose water or kewra water
- 1 tbsp ghee
- A few saffron strands (optional)
Method
- Heat ghee in a heavy pan and lightly sauté the grated coconut. Prepare a one-string sugar syrup with sugar, water, and cardamom.
- Add the coconut and cook gently until the syrup coats the strands and the mixture becomes glossy.
- Add kewra water and saffron, then spread on a greased tray and garnish with nuts. Allow to cool and set before serving.
Sweet Sattu Ladoo
Ingredients
- 250 g roasted chana sattu
- 100 g ghee
- 150 g powdered sugar
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- 2 tbsp chopped almonds
- 1 tbsp chopped pistachios
- 1–2 tbsp milk, only if required for binding
- A few saffron strands (optional)
Method
- Heat ghee and lightly roast the sattu on low heat until aromatic.
- Let it cool slightly, then mix in powdered sugar, cardamom, and nuts.
- Add a little milk if needed and mix well. Shape into small ladoos and garnish with chopped nuts or saffron.
This festive season, let Chef Rachna Prasad’s Bihari mithai bring the fragrance of tradition and the sweetness of home to your table.