One Pot UP Style Tahiri

If you are bored of the same old rice dishes, this UP‑style veg tehri cooks in one pot on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot, with potatoes, peas and cauliflower in under 30 minutes for real comfort. This cozy, comforting Taihiri is perfect for those busy weeknights, when everyone's hungry and you need to put something one the table.

My roots are from Uttar Pradesh and if you dive into the culinary history of of UP you'll find Tehri a staple family meal. Tahari was often a Sunday special lunch at home. The whole house would be filled with the delightful aroma of this one-pot rice dish, full of vegetables and spices. I have fond memories of enjoying my Tahari with a dollop of ghee and some cheeni wala dahi (sweetened yogurt) on the side. I often asked my mom to pack this for my school lunch too. I hope you enjoy this comforting meal as much as I do.

UP‑style veg tehri is that simple, yellow vegetable rice you make on days when you want "ghar ka khana" without babysitting three different pans. It's a one‑pot rice dish cooked with potatoes, peas and cauliflower in a lightly spiced turmeric base, and you can do it either in a kadhai on the stovetop or directly in the Instant Pot, all in about 30 minutes.

Is Teheri different from Biryani and Pulav?

Yes it is. Think of it as a middle sibling between Biryani and Pulav.

Tehri is a one pot spiced rice and vegetable dish, where the rice and vegetables are cooked together.

Biryani calls for marinated vegetables in richer spices like saffron, kewra the rice and vegetables are layered separately.

Pulav is a mildly spiced, one pot rice dish.

Ingredient Notes

Tehri can be made with easily available ingredients at home. Below is just a gist of the ingredients, see recipe card for quantities.

• Ghee or oil for vegans.
• Rice
• Vegetables - cauliflower, potato and peas, onion & tomatoes
• Spices - bay leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, cumin seeds, green chilies, coriander powder, turmeric, cumin powder, red chili powder, garam masala (you can go with as many spices you want or just pick a few)
• Ginger Garlic Paste
• Yogurt
• Water

How to make Tehri on Stove Top Kadhai

This one pot dish is super easy to make.

• Wash rice until water is clear. Soak in 5 cups of water. We will use this water for cooking.
• Warm up ghee or oil in a pot.
• Put in whole spices like cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Cook until they are fragrant.
• Add sliced onions and cook until they're a bit see-through, but not brown.
• Put in ginger garlic paste and cook until fragrant.
• Add potato cubes (not bigger than an inch) and cauliflower pieces. Mix well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes to soften.
• Mix yogurt with coriander powder, chili powder, cumin powder, and turmeric.
• On medium heat, add the spiced yogurt to the pot. Keep stirring until it bubbles.
• Put in green chilies, tomato slices, and salt. Mix well.
• Add peas and the soaked rice with its water. Stir and cook on medium heat.
• When water boils, cover the pot and cook on low to medium heat for about 20 minutes. Check if rice is fluffy.
• Let it sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with garam masala and cilantro on top.

How to make Instant Pot Tehri

• Skip soaking the rice for Instant Pot.
• Rice to water ratio will 1:1.5
• The other steps will remain the same.
• Pressure cook for 8 minutes followed by a quick pressure release.

Serving Suggestions

To relish the Tahiri, garnish it with cilantro and add a dollop of yogurt.

Pairing Suggestions

To balance out the spices, it is typically served with a cooling raita with boondi or simple yogurt. I personally love it with sweetened yogurt. You can also pair it with a Cilantro - Tomato Chutney. On festive occasions like Basant Panchami, I pair it with Kadhi. Some lazy meals ae simply Tehri and Tomato Soup.

On special occasions like Basant Panchami & Holi, my faily always pairs it with Meethe Chawal.

How to store Tahiri

I have my doubts that you will ever have any leftover Tahiri, unless you plan to make extra. To store Tahiri, allow it to complete cool down and then transfer it in an air tight container and refrigerate for upto 3 days. You can also freeze Taheri, although it's might not taste it's best once defrosted. To reheat, add a splash of water so that it doesn't dry out.

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Tahiri:

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