Garhwali Tehri

Garhwali Tehri

Garhwali Tehri

Veg

Turmeric rice with potatoes — a simple one-pot rice preparation where potato cubes are cooked together with rice in a light stock coloured with turmeric, bay leaf, whole cumin, and green cardamom in ghee. The potatoes absorb the spiced rice water and become soft and flavourful. Much simpler and lighter than biryani — no fried onions, no marination, no layering. The everyday rice preparation of Garhwali households, eaten at lunch with dal and a sabzi.

Cuisines

Kumaoni Garhwali

Best for

Lunch Dinner

Recipe

Prep: 20 min Cook: 40 min Total: 60 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice
2 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium potato, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1/2 cup green peas
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 cups water
— salt to taste
2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Instructions

  1. 1 Wash and soak the basmati rice in water for 30 minutes, then drain.
  2. 2 Heat ghee in a pan over medium heat.
  3. 3 Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
  4. 4 Add sliced onions and sauté until golden brown.
  5. 5 Add diced potatoes and carrots, and sauté for 5 minutes.
  6. 6 Stir in green peas, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt.
  7. 7 Add the drained rice and mix well with the vegetables and spices.
  8. 8 Pour in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
  9. 9 Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it simmer until the rice is cooked and water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.
  10. 10 Once cooked, sprinkle garam masala and chopped coriander leaves on top.
  11. 11 Fluff the rice gently with a fork and serve hot.

Tips

For extra flavour, use whole spices like bay leaf, cloves, and cinnamon in the oil first.