Tahari is a very popular rice dish among the vegetarians in Uttar Pradesh. It’s a one-pot recipe made with rice and winter veggies like potatoes, green peas and cauliflower. Simple, heartwarming and absolutely delicious, Tahari is perfect for the days when you want something simple yet filling.
Growing up, my mom would often make tahari for dinner on weekends, when after a heavy lunch, all any of us craved was something light and comforting. Originally from the Uttar Pradesh state in India, Tehri is a yellow rice dish made with spices and veggies. It’s a one-pot recipe that’s not just quick and easy to make, but also absolutely delicious.
Even though this is a simple recipe, it is pretty big on flavors and textures thanks to the spices and veggies. I love making aloo tehri after coming back from a long vacation when all we’re looking to eat is something homemade and comforting. I also often pack tahari in my daughter’s school tiffin since it travels quite well. Oh and if you have picky eaters, this delicious yellow rice is the perfect way to sneak in some extra veggies into your family’s diet.
Ingredients you need to make Tahari
Here’s everything you need to make the best Tahari
- Ghee: Making this UP style vegetable and rice dish in ghee really helps alleviate the flavors and makes it taste richer. You can replace it with oil if you’re vegan, but ghee delivers the best flavor.
- Spices: This recipe uses just a handful of spices that deliver big flavors. I have used cumin seeds, turmeric, coriander, and chilli powders as well green chillies.
- Onions: For flavor and aroma.
- Veggies: I have used potatoes and fresh green peas for this recipe.
- Rice: I have used basmati rice, but any long grain rice will work well for this recipe.
- Salt: For flavor and seasoning
How to make the Best Tahari
1. Heat ghee in a pan over medium flame. Add jeera (cumin) and once it starts spluttering, add green chillies and onions.
2. Sauté onions for a minute just to soften them a bit and add coriander powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt.
3. Stir to combine. Cook until the raw aroma from the masalas disappears.
4. Add potatoes, green peas and the drained rice.
5. Saute this for 2-3 minutes to toast the rice. The rice should release a fragrant aroma.
6. Pour water and bring it to a quick boil over a high flame.
7. Turn it down to a simmer immediately and cook covered for 10 minutes till the rice is cooked and fluffy.
8. Turn off the flame and rest for 10 minutes and serve hot with raita.
Top Tips you need to make the Best Tahari
- I have used potatoes and green peas in this tehri but you can go with whatever’s in the fridge. A lot of recipes recommend adding cauliflower, tomatoes, carrots, beans, etc.
- Always roast the rice with the spices for a few minutes before adding water. This ensures the cooked dish has fluffy, separate grains of rice
Frequently Asked Questions
The main difference between tehri, biryani and pulao are in the way they’re made. While tahari and biryani both use the ‘dum’ method of preparation, the main difference between the two is that biryani is prepared in layers of rice and gravy, but tahari and pulao do not have any layers.
Absolutely! Even though tahiri is originally vegetarian, you can easily make a non-veg version by adding either chicken or mutton along with the veggies. Although be mindful of the cooking time, as non-veg tahari will take longer to cook depending on the type of meat you’re using.
Yes, I would recommend soaking rice for about 15-20 minutes to help cook it better and more evenly.
Even though tahari is a complete meal in itself, I love serving this with a veg raita or onion raita to make the meal even more wholesome and delicious. I often make this dish after a busy working day as it comes together in a jiffy.
Watch The Recipe Video
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Tahari
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Ghee
- 1 teaspoon Jeera cumin seeds
- 2 Green Chillies
- 1 Onion sliced
- 2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Potato cut into 1 inch cubes
- ½ cup Green Peas
- 1 cup Basmati Rice washed, soaked for ½ hour and drained
- 1 ¼ cup Water
Instructions
- Heat ghee in a pan over medium flame. Add jeera (cumin) and once it starts spluttering, add green chillies and onions.
- Sauté onions for a minute just to soften them a bit and add coriander powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Stir to combine.
- Add potatoes, green peas and the drained rice. Saute this for 2-3 minutes to toast the rice. The rice should release a fragrant aroma.
- Pour water and bring it to a quick boil over a high flame. Turn it down to a simmer immediately and cook covered for 10 minutes till the rice is cooked and fluffy. Turn off the flame and rest for 10 minutes and serve hot with raita.
Video
Notes
- I have used potatoes and green peas in this tehri but you can go with whatever’s in the fridge. A lot of recipes recommend adding cauliflower, tomatoes, carrots, beans, etc.
- Always roast the rice with the spices for a few minutes before adding water. This ensures the cooked dish has fluffy, separate grains of rice
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