Simple, practical, and full of everyday flavour, Tehri Recipe (Tahri) is a vegetarian North Indian main course made with simple everyday ingredients in about 35 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: North Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup aged basmati rice ((or any aged non-sticky rice))
  • 2 tablespoons oil (or ghee)
  • 1 medium onion ((sliced or chopped))
  • 2 potatoes ((small to medium) (cubed))
  • 1 tomato ((small to medium)(cubed))
  • ½ cup cauliflower
  • 6 beans ((cut to 2 inch long pieces))
  • 1 carrot ((small one, cubed))
  • ¼ cup green peas
  • ½ teaspoon salt ((use as needed))
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
  • 1 green chili ((slit, optional skip for kids))
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves
  • 1½ cups water ((for cooker, 2 cups for pot, 1 ¼ cups for IP))
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 inch cinnamon
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder ((ground coriander))
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder ((roasted jeera powder))
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala

Method

  1. Rinse rice well at least thrice. Soak for about 15 to 20 mins. Later drain it and set aside.
  2. While the rice soaks, wash and dice the vegetables.
  3. Heat oil or in a pot or pressure cooker.
  4. Add cumin, bay leaf, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon.
  5. When the cumin begins to splutter. add onions and green chili. Fry until the onions turn golden.
  6. Add ginger garlic paste. Fry just for a min.
  7. Lower the flame. Stir in coriander powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder, turmeric and salt.
  8. Add all the vegetables including tomatoes. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes on a medium heat.

How to Make Tehri

  1. Add the drained rice and mix gently. On a slightly high flame fry the rice for 2 mins. Occasionally stir & do not over do else the rice will break.
  2. Pour water and mix well. Taste the water and add more salt if needed.
  3. Bring the water to a boil on a high flame. Reduce the flame to low. Cook covered until the rice is fully cooked but not mushy.
  4. If using a pressure cooker, cover the lid and cook for 1 whistle. The flame has to be medium. When the pressure drops, open the lid.
  5. Add chopped coriander leaves. Gently fluff up the rice with a fork and mix the coriander leaves. Keep covered for 5 mins.
  6. Serve veg tehri with raita and papad.

Instant Pot Tehri

  1. Perform all the steps on saute mode until you pour water to the steel insert of the Instant pot. Later cover the Ip and pressure for 5 mins. Release the pressure immediately after 2 mins. Fluff up with a fork.
  2. If the rice is too dry on the top, fluff up well with a fork. Remove the steel insert from the Ip and keep covered for 5 mins.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.