Make traditional UP-style Tahri (Tehri) using my easy recipe. This one-pot spiced vegetable rice recipe comes together using a few simple ingredients (vegetarian).
Here are some more rice recipes that you may like – Bagara Rice, Hariyali Pulao, Peas Pulao, Basanti Pulao, Shrimp Pulao, Chicken Pulao, Veg Pulao, Paneer Pulao, Mumbai Style Tawa Pulao, and Gucchi Pulao.
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About Tahri (Tehri)
Tahri (Tehri or Tahari) is an easy and comforting one-pot meal from Uttar Pradesh (Awadhi cuisine) made using rice, vegetables, and basic spices.
It is made mostly in winter when fresh green peas and cauliflower are in season. Aloo Matar Gobhi ki Tahri is also a treat made for the festival of Sankranti.
It comes together using a few simple ingredients.
You can make tahri in a traditional pressure cooker, an instant pot, or in a pot over the stovetop.
I am sharing all the 3 methods in the post below.
This tahri recipe serves 6 people but you can scale it up or down as per your requirements.
I make this tehri recipe in my 3-liter pressure cooker or a 6-quart instant pot. If you want to scale the recipe, use a bigger cooker or instant pot. The time of cooking will remain the same.
Ingredients
Rice – I prefer using long-grain basmati rice to make Tahri as the grains are fluffy and separate post-cooking. It is very flavorful too.
Having said that, you can use any white rice that you have.
Vegetables – Traditionally, green peas, cauliflower, and potatoes are used to make Tahri but feel free to add any vegetables of your choice. Green beans, carrots, broccoli, etc are some options.
Sometimes the cauliflower has tiny insects hidden inside the florets. To get rid of any, I like to blanch my cauliflower before using them in any recipe.
Spice Powders – Spice up the tahri with basic everyday spice powders such as coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and garam masala powder.
Others – You will also need vegetable oil, ghee, asafetida (hing), cumin seeds, cloves (laung), whole black peppercorns (kali mirch), whole black cardamoms (badi elaichi), onions, and fresh tomatoes.
Avoid adding hing (asafetida) to make gluten-free tahri.
To make vegan tahri, replace ghee with oil. You can use vegetable oil, canola oil, mustard oil, sesame oil, or any cooking oil of your choice.
You can also add a teaspoon of rose water or a few drops of kewra essence to this recipe.
How To Make Tahri
Rinse 2 cups of long-grain basmati rice with water 2-3 times until the water runs clear.
Soak it in 4 cups of water for 30 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon ghee in a pressure cooker over medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, add ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing), and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and saute for 3-4 seconds.
Add 3-4 cloves, 4-6 whole black peppercorns, and 2 black cardamoms, and saute for 4-5 seconds.
Add 1 cup chopped onions and cook till it turns slightly brown (5-6 minutes). Stir frequently while frying.
Add ½ cup chopped tomatoes and cook for a minute.
Now add 1 cup green peas, 1 cup potatoes (peeled and cubed), and 2 cups cauliflower (cut into small florets and blanched) and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently.
Add
- 3 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 teaspoon salt
and cook for another minute.
Drain the water from the rice and add it to the pressure cooker.
Add 3 and ½ cups of water and stir gently.
Close the lid of the pressure cooker and pressure cook for 1 whistle on high heat.
Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release on its own.
Once the pressure is completely released, open the lid of the cooker.
Gently fluff the tahri using a fork and serve hot.
You can garnish the tehri with some golden fried onions and chopped cilantro (coriander leaves).
Frequently Asked Questions
Press SAUTE button on the instant pot.
Follow the steps until adding rice to the instant pot.
Add 2 and ¼ cups of water and stir gently.
Close the lid of the instant pot and set the valve to the sealing position.
Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 6 minutes at high pressure.
Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid of the pot.
Gently fluff the tahri using a fork and serve hot.
Follow the steps until adding rice and water to the pot. Now cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook undisturbed for 20-25 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed by the rice and it is tender. Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Fluff using a fork and serve hot.
Tahri has more spices added to it as compared to a pulao and is more robust and complex in flavor while pulao is mild and light.
Biryani on the other hand is even more complex in flavor than tahri and the process to make biryani involves layering the rice with the veggies or meat while to make tahri, everything is cooked together.
To blanch the cauliflower, cut it into small florets. Heat 4-5 cups of water in a large pot. Once the water comes to a boil, add the cauliflower florets to the pot and cook for 30 seconds. If you see any worm floating on top of the water, then discard it using a spoon. Drain the water and run the cauliflower under cold water. Drain well and use as desired.
Serving Suggestions
Tahri tastes best when served hot with a dollop of ghee.
Do not forget to serve papad, boondi raita, or curd and green chutney on the side.
To make it more filling, serve an Indian salad such as Kachumber Salad, Sprouts Salad, Kidney Bean Salad, etc.
You can also serve a pickle of your choice to perk up the taste. My favorites are Rajasthani Mango Pickle, Chilli Pickle, Hing Ka Achar, and Nimbu Mirch Ka Achar.
Storage Suggestions
Tahri tastes best when served right out of the pan.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Reheat tahri in a pan or microwave to serve again. Sprinkle a little water to add moisture, as it becomes a little dry after refrigeration.
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Recipe Card
Tahri Recipe (Tehri, UP Style Spiced Vegetable Rice)
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon ghee (replace with oil for vegan)
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing) (skip for gluten-free)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3-4 cloves (laung)
- 4-6 whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
- 2 whole black cardamoms (badi elaichi)
- 1 cup chopped onions
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup green peas
- 1 cup peeled and cubed potatoes (½-inch cubes)
- 2 cups cauliflower (cut into small florets and blanched)
- 3 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Rinse basmati rice with water 2-3 times until the water runs clear.
- Soak it in 4 cups of water for 30 minutes.
- Heat vegetable oil and ghee in a pressure cooker over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot, add asafetida and cumin seeds and saute for 3-4 seconds.
- Add cloves, black peppercorns, and black cardamoms and saute for 4-5 seconds.
- Add onions and cook till it turns slightly brown (5-6 minutes). Stir frequently while frying.
- Add tomatoes and cook for a minute.
- Now add peas, potatoes, and cauliflower and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add coriander powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, and salt, and cook for another minute.
- Drain the water from the rice and add the rice to the pressure cooker.
- Add 3 and ½ cups of water and stir gently.
- Close the lid of the pressure cooker and pressure cook for 1 whistle on high heat.
- Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release on its own.
- Once the pressure is completely released, open the lid of the cooker.
- Gently fluff the tahri using a fork and serve hot.
- You can garnish the tehri with some golden fried onions and chopped cilantro (coriander leaves).
Notes
Close the lid of the instant pot and set the valve to the sealing position.
Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 6 minutes at high pressure.
Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid of the pot.
Gently fluff the tahri using a fork and serve hot. Pot Recipe – Follow the steps until adding rice and water to the pot. Now cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20-25 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed by the rice and it is tender. Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Fluff the tahri using a fork and serve hot. This tahri recipe serves 6 people but you can scale it up or down as per your requirements. I make this recipe in my 3-liter pressure cooker or a 6-quart instant pot. If you want to scale the recipe, use a bigger cooker or instant pot. The time of cooking will remain the same.
atul sethi
Made it for my mother. She simply loved it. Thanks
Neha Mathur
Awesome 🙂