Tehari or Tahri or Tehri, however you may spell it or say it, is a fragrant yellow rice dish common in Southeast Asia. It gets it’s iconic yellow hue by being cooked in a spice (primarily composed of turmeric) infused water. You can dress it up by adding other vegetables like green beans, peas, cauliflower, or potatoes. More traditionally, potatoes are used and that’s usually what my family does. Well, enough with the history lesson.
We should just get started with the recipe, shouldn’t we? Yes, lets!
Ingredients:
- 4 cups dried basmati rice
- 4.5 cups water, (+/-) for cooking rice
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 5 small potatoes, peeled
- 1.5 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1.5 teaspoon Pakistani red chili powder
- 3-4 teaspoons salt, as needed
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 large tomato, roughly chopped
- 2 green chilies, whole
- 2-3 whole cloves (optional)
- 4-5 whole peppercorns (optional)
- 2-3 cardamom pods (optional)
- cilantro, to garnish
Directions:
Like all good rice dishes we’re going to start by turning our attention to the rice. You always want to clean your rice thoroughly and allow it to soak, this will help speed up the cooking time later and ensure a nice, individual, long grains. Place your rice in a large bowl and give it a rinse. Fill it with water, stir it gently with your fingers so the starches are released and then drain the water. Do this about 3-4 times until the water is mostly clear. Then completely cover the rice in water and allow it to soak for 30 minutes.
While your rice soaks you can turn your attention to all the other ingredients. I’m sure they’ve been waiting for you to notice them. Like almost every Pakistani recipe I’ve made we are going to start with frying…the Onion. Good, I was waiting for you to finish the sentence and I wholeheartedly believe you did! Start by dicing or slicing thinly your onion. Different people prefer it different ways. Or sometimes it’s just based off your mood. Either way make sure they are tiny tiny pieces that can cook down easily. In a large pot, that you will end up cooking the rice in, add in the oil and onions and just a pinch of salt. I’ve heard this helps fry them quicker (don’t know if this is true, hahaha). Bring it to a medium to medium-high heat and when they start sizzling give them a mix every few minute. You can cover to prevent any splashing but keep mixing every few minutes so they don’t burn.
While the onions are cooking you can prepare your potatoes. That is if you haven’t already done that. Some people like to be more prepared than their recipes. All the power to you people. This wasn’t sarcastic, I meant it! I really did! Anyways, to prepare the potatoes just wash and peel them and then cut them into eighths or quarters, if you are using small potatoes. If you are using larger potatoes, cut them into small chunks. It depends on preference but if their too big they will take longer to cook so be mindful of that.
Once you’re done with your potatoes the onions should be ready. Semi golden brown and translucent. It’s the perfect time to add in the potatoes. Drop them like they’re hot into the pot. Then, you can add in the turmeric, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Give it a quick mix and then add int he ginger and garlic pastes. Add in a splash of water to keep the potatoes from sticking to the pot. Bring it to a medium heat and give it a mix. Then allow the potatoes to cook in the spices for about 2-3 minutes without mixing. After this you can add in the chopped tomato, the optional whole spices if you have them and the green chilies. We happened to just run out of tomatoes but luckily we had some canned ones available, so you can use those too if that’s all you have!
On a high heat, give everything a stir in the pot. Scraping down the bottom of the pan to gather all those flavors. Saute it all for a minute or two. Add in 1.5 cups of water to halfway submerge the potatoes. And let those cook on medium for about 5 until they are just halfway cooked through. They will do the rest of their cooking with the rice. At this point you can drain the rice you had soaking and then carefully add it into the potatoes along with the remaining salt. You’ll need about the same amount of water as rice. So taking out what you put into the potatoes put in at least 3 cups of water. There should be enough water to cover the rice and inch above. When in doubt stick your finger in to see if it’s about a segment from the top of the rice to the top of the water. It’s a foolproof method.
Give your rice a careful stir to incorporate the potatoes and spices with the rice. Just one or two stirs. Then simply cover your rice and bring it to a boil on medium-high heat. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t overflow. Let it cook for about 5-10 minutes. It will depend. Just watch until the rice absorbs the water. It happens fairly quickly. You can uncover at this point and test a few grains of rice.
First check the bottom. If the bottom grains are soft and tender they’re cooked through. Check a grain on the top of the rice. Often times these will be slightly under-cooked if you didn’t have just enough water. If it feels a little hard, don’t panic! This happened to me too. Since it’s just the top rice it’s quite easy to take care of this. Simply take a few paper towels or a kitchen towel and dampen it with water. Place this on top of the rice and cover it with a lid. Place the whole pot into a large frying pan that can completely hold it, this is to keep it form direct heat. Then place this on the stove on low heat and let it steam to cook all the rice completely. This is called leaving it on “dum” in urdu. Keep it on “dum” for atleat 10 minutes but you can really just keep it like this for as long as you need. I did mine for 15 minutes and I found it was perfect. Once I uncovered it, the rice was long, fluffy, and tender.
Give your rice a very careful (so they don’t break) turn to separate the grains. Using a large, wide spoon/paddle bring the rice up from the bottom to top. Do this mix a few times. Then, you’re ready to serve! Tehari is great on it’s own but you can also eat it with some plain yogurt or raita on top. Maybe a salan dish if you have one already made. Anyways, however you eat it is up to you as long as you enjoy! Let me know if you give it a try!
Tehari Rice
Ingredients
- 4 cups dried basmati rice
- 4½ cups water (+/-) for cooking rice
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 5 small potatoes peeled
- 1½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1½ teaspoon Pakistani red chili powder to your taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder (optional)
- 3-4 teaspoons salt as needed
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 large tomato roughly chopped
- 2 green chilies, whole
- 2-3 whole cloves (optional)
- 4-5 whole peppercorns (optional)
- 2-3 cardamom pods (optional)
- cilantro, to garnish
Instructions
- Start by preparing your rice. Place in a bowl and rinse in water. Add in water, stir it with your fingers so starch releases and then drain the water. Do this 3-4 times until water added is mostly clear. Once this happens completely submerge rice in water and allow to soak for 30 minutes before cooking.
- While rice soaks work on preparing vegetables. Start by dicing or thinly slicing your large onion.
- Add oil, onion, and pinch of salt into large pot that you will eventually cook rice in. Cook on medium to medium-high heat. Mix the onion every few minutes to prevent burning and sticking. You can cover to prevent splashing. But continue to keep on eye on them.
- Whilst the onions cook you can prepare the potatoes. Potatoes should be washed, peeled, and cut into eighths. If you are using a larger potato cut into small chunks mostly uniform in size.
- Once the onions have cooked down and are golden brown and translucent you can add in the potatoes.
- On top of the potatoes add in turmeric powder, pakistani red chili powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, and one teaspoon salt. The cumin powder is optional if you'd like it you would add it in here.
- Give it all a mix and add just a splash of water to prevent potatoes from sticking to pot.
- Allow the flavors to infuse potatoes for a few minutes (2-3 minutes) on medium heat.
- Keeping the heat on medium add in the diced or sliced tomato, green chilies, and (optionally) whole spices (peppercorn, cardamom, and clove).
- Add about 1½ cups water to this mixture to halfway submerge the potatoes. Cover the pot and allow the potatoes to cook halfway for about 5 minutes.
- Once potatoes have cooked halfway, drain the soaking rice and add carefully into pot.
- Add in remaining water (about 3 cups) to cover rice and inch above the top. You can check with your finger to see if the water line is about one segment above the rice.
- Give the rice a gentle stir to mix with potatoes.
- Cover the rice and bring to a boil on medium-high to high heat.
- Keep an eye on it and let it cook for about 5-10 minutes until rice absorbs water.
- Once water is mostly absorbs check the rice to see if cooked through. Turn the heat to low.
- First, check a grain near the bottom of the pot if it is long, soft, and tender it should be cooked. Try some to make sure.
- Second, check a few grains of rice on the top. If they are also cooked you are just about done.
- If the grains on top feel and taste a little firm they are slightly underdone. You can remedy this situation by using a few damp paper towels or a kitchen towel and placing them on top of rice, completely covering them. Cover the pot with lid. Place pot in a frying pan and place this all on the stove on a low heat. This is putting it on "Dum". The steam will finish cooking any under-cooked grains.
- You should put it on "dum" regardless of if the top grains are a little under-cooked.
- Place it on dum for as long as you'd like. It can be anywhere from 5-20 minutes. At this point if the grains are cooked they won't overcook they will just stay warm.
- I put my rice on dum for 15 minutes and this was perfect. The rice was long, fluffy, and tender.
- Once your rice is ready give it a gentle turn in the pot to help separate the grains. Use a large flat spoon/paddle to bring the rice from bottom to top.
- Now you are ready to serve! Tehari can be eaten on it's own or with plain yogurt on top or a raita. It also goes well with chutney or a salaan dish. Whatever you prefer!
- Enjoy!
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