Tehri (dish)

Tehri

Tahriwithkachumbarsalad
Course	Main course
Place of origin	Indian subcontinent
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredients	Legumesor pulses rice spices
Media: Tehri (dish)

Tehriortahri(also rarelytapahri) is a yellow rice dish inIndia,NepalandBangladesh.Spices are added to plain cooked rice for flavor and colour. In one version of tehri,potatoesare added to the rice.

Etymology

As perMonier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary,theHindiwordtehriis derived from theSanskritwordTāpaharī,which is a dish prepared from rice, dal chunks(badi),vegetables, cooked ingheewith spices especially turmeric.

Origin

The recipe forTahariis mentioned with nameTapahariin ancientAyurvedictreatise written in Sanskrit language, which was a preparation of rice cooked with vegetables and other ingredients.The recipe forTaharialso finds mention in Pakadarpana (1200 CE) cookbook, which uses meat ofhen.Bhojanakutūhala(1675 CE) Sanskrit book on cookery and culinary traditions mentionstaharīrice dish and it was eaten with side-dish of fried lentil fitters known as "vaṭakas".The ingredients for cookingtāpaharīin both text varies but are similar in technique; It was made with rice seasoned with spice-blend called "Trikatu"and"Trijataka"along with ghee, turmeric, wet ginger, asafoetida, water and salt.Pakadarpanacookbook adds meat of hen to this before cooking. InBhojanakuthuhala,this rice dish was eaten with fried fritters known asVaṭakasprepared from black-gram flour, rice flour and mixed with turmeric and fried in ghee. This preparation was calledtaharīortāpaharī.Recipe also finds mentioned inBhāvaprakāśa Nighaṇṭu,a 16th-century medical treatise.

Popularity

Tahari became more popular during theSecond World Warwhen meat prices increased substantially andpotatobecame the popular substitute in biryani.