veg tehri recipe with step by step photos. veg tahiri or veg tehri is an aromatic, spiced one pot rice & vegetable based dish from the uttar pradesh cuisine.

veg tehri is a medley of mixed veggies, rice and spices from the awadhi cuisine. an easy recipe to prepare. the method of making tahiri or taheri looks like making a pulao, but the dum cooking technique makes the difference. the taste of taheri is also not like a veg pulao. i felt the taste somewhere between a veg biryani and a pulao.

the vegetables that are usually added in tehri are cauliflower, peas and potatoes. though you can use whatever mixed veggies you have or your choice of veggies. you can even make a one or two veggie tehri like an aloo gobi or a simple potato peas tehri or even just a potato tehri. the recipe has been adapted from jiggs kalra’s book – “classic cooking of avadh” .

vegetable tahiri makes for an ideal weekend lunch. you can pair it with a raita or even plain yogurt.

if you are looking for more rice recipes then do check:

• baby corn pulao
• beetroot rice
• corn pulao
• coconut milk rice
• pudina rice

veg tehri recipe

4.89 from 9 votes

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:30 mins

Total Time:50 mins

veg tahiri recipe - spiced one pot rice dish made with vegetables and spices. a specialty from uttar pradesh cuisine.

Course:main course

Cuisine:awadhi,north indian,uttar pradesh

Servings:4 to 5

Author:Dassana Amit

INGREDIENTS FOR veg tehri recipe

(1 CUP = 250 ML)

veggies for veg tehri

• 200 to 210 grams potatoes, 2 large potatoes or 1 cup tightly packed potatoes
• 200 to 210 grams cauliflower, 2 cups chopped cauliflower florets
• 115 grams carrots or 2 medium sized or ½ cup chopped carrots
• 50 grams french beans or 12 to 14 french beans or 1/3 cup chopped beans
• ½ cup green peas (matar) - fresh or frozen

other ingredients for veg tehri

• 3 tablespoon ghee
• 175 grams onions or 3 medium sized onions or 1 cup heaped sliced onions
• 155 grams tomatoes or 3 medium sized tomatoes or ¾ cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste or 1 inch ginger + 6 to 7 garlic - crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves (pudina patta)
• 3 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (dhania patta)
• 3 green chilies (hari mirch) - slit
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (lal mirch powder)
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1.5 cups basmati rice or 300 grams basmati rice
• ½ tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon kewra water or rose water (optional)
• 3 cups water
• salt as required

whole spices for veg tahiri

• 1 tej patta (indian bay leaf)
• 4 green cardamoms (chotti elaichi)
• 2 black cardamoms (badi elaichi)
• 4 to 5 cloves (lavang)
• 2 sticks each of 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)

HOW TO MAKE veg tehri recipe

preparation for veg tehri recipe

• rinse 1.5 cups basmati rice in water very well till the water runs clear of starch. then soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes.
• after 30 minutes, drain the rice and keep aside.
• rinse and soak 2 cups mediums sized cauliflower florets in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes.
• this blanching step is optional and only to get rid of any insects or worms in the cauliflower. after blanching the cauliflower, drain them and keep aside. also chop the rest of the veggies and keep aside.

making vegetable tehri

• heat 3 tbsp ghee in a thick bottomed deep pot or pan. 
• add the following spices and saute till the spices splutter and become fragrant - 1 tej patta, 4 green cardamoms, 2 black cardamoms, 4 to 5 cloves and 2 sticks each of 1 inch cinnamon. instead of ghee you can also use mustard oil or sunflower oil.
• then add 1 cup heaped sliced onions.
• stir and begin to saute the onions.
• sauteing the onions take a lot of time. so add a pinch of salt for quick cooking of the onions.
• saute till the onions become golden.
• then add 1 tbsp ginger+garlic paste. saute for a few seconds till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
• add 3/4 cup chopped tomatoes. saute the tomatoes for a minute or two.
• then add 1 cup tightly packed diced potatoes. saute the potatoes for 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium flame.
• next add 1/2 cup chopped carrots, 1/3 cup chopped french beans , 1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas and the cauliflower florets.
• mix the veggies with the rest of the ingredients.
• then add 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves, 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, 3 slit green chilies, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder.
• stir and mix very well. add 1/2 tbsp lemon juice.
• then add rice. mix the rice very well with the masala and saute for a minute.

cooking veg tehari

• pour 3 cups water. you can also add 1 tsp rose water or kewra water at this step. season with salt.
• cover the pan with a tight lid. if you want you can also seal the pan with an aluminium foil and then cover the pan with a lid.
• on a low flame, cook the tahiri till all the water is absorbed and the rice grains are fluffy and soft. 
• it took me 20 minutes for the rice to cook. time will vary depending on the size and volume of pan, the thickness of pan, flame intensity etc.
• once done, give a resting time of 5 minutes. then gently fluff and serve vegetable tahiri with a raita or plain curd.

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preparation to make vegetable rice or tehari recipe

1. rinse 1.5 cups basmati rice (300 grams) in water very well till the water runs clear of starch. then soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes.

2. after 30 minutes, drain the rice and keep aside.

3. rinse and soak 2 cups mediums sized cauliflower florets in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. this blanching step is optional and only to get rid of any insects or worms in the cauliflower. after blanching the cauliflower, drain them and keep aside. also chop the rest of the veggies and keep aside.

making vegetable rice

4. heat 3 tbsp ghee in a thick bottomed deep pot or pan.

5. add the following spices and saute till the spices splutter and become fragrant – 1 tej patta, 4 green cardamoms, 2 black cardamoms, 4 to 5 cloves and 2 sticks each of 1 inch cinnamon. instead of ghee you can also use mustard oil or sunflower oil.

6. then add 1 cup heaped sliced onions.

7. stir and begin to saute the onions.

8. sauteing the onions take a lot of time. so add a pinch of salt for quick cooking of the onions.

9. saute till the onions become golden.

10. then add 1 tbsp ginger+garlic paste.

11. saute for a few seconds till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.

12. add ¾ cup chopped tomatoes.

13. saute the tomatoes for a minute or two.

14. then add 1 cup tightly packed diced potatoes.

15. saute the potatoes for 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium flame.

16. next add ½ cup chopped carrots, ⅓ cup chopped french beans, ½ cup fresh or frozen green peas and the cauliflower florets.

17. mix the veggies with the rest of the ingredients.

18. then add 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves, 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and 3 green chilies (slit).

19. also add 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder and ½ tsp turmeric powder.

20. stir and mix very well.

21. add ½ tbsp lemon juice.

22. then add rice.

23. mix the rice very well with the masala and saute for a minute.

24. pour 3 cups water. you can also add 1 tsp rose water or kewra water at this step.

25. season with salt.

cooking vegetable rice

26. cover the pan with a tight fitting lid, so that the steam does not pass from the sides. if you want you can also seal the pan with an aluminium foil and then cover the pan with the lid.

27. on a low flame (sim), cook the tahiri till all the water is absorbed and the rice grains are fluffy and soft. it took me 20 minutes for the rice to cook. time will vary depending on the size and volume of pan, the thickness of pan, flame intensity etc. you can check the rice grains while cooking once or twice.

28. once done, give a resting time of 5 minutes. then gently fluff and serve vegetable tahiri with a raita or plain curd. you can also garnish vegetable tahiri with some fried onions while serving.