This is a dish which is usually cooked at our house on a lazy Saturday Lunch. But just coz you are lazy, doesn’t mean the food has to be boring. This simple dish can be easily cooked up in 20-25 mins with the least amount of skills. (as long as you follow the instructions :p) Making it is a fuss-free affair, however, you could use some techniques and tips to make sure you get it right.
Also commonly known as Tehri, it is often confused with traditional Pulao, however, there is a slight difference from the way it is cooked, in particular, the dum cooking technique makes the difference. The taste and Texture of Tehri is also not like a Pulao, rather it is quite sticky due to the higher water content and cooking style. It has more spices as compared to a Pulao but less spices than Biryani and also it differs from Biryani, because it is cooked in a cooker in a simple dum fashion. I felt the taste somewhere between a Biryani and a Pulao. Tehri dating back to Awadhi cuisines is usually a cuisine you’ll see in the Northern parts of India along the Delhi, UP, Bihar, West Bengal belt. Each state has their own cultural significance and unique cooking styles that make the dish different.
It is usually relished with coriander and mint chutney, kachumbar salad and /or a refreshing raita. I have made a simple boondi raita, but you can use any kind of Raita you like.
The Building Blocks:
Marination:
- 500gms – 750gms Curry Cut Chicken
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilly Powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 tbsp curd
- Salt as per taste
Masala:
- 3-4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
- 2 large onions (sliced)
- 1 large tomato (chopped)
- 1 whole star aniseed
- 1 inch cinnamom stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 4-5 whole green cardamom (choti elaichi)
- 7-8 Whole black pepper corns
- 3-4 green chillies (sliced)
- Fresh Coriander leaves (for garnish)
- Salt as per taste
- 1 small bowl rice
- 2.5 small bowls water (use same bowl as rice for measurement)
Putting it all together:
- Wash the rice with fresh water and then soak it in 2.5 bowls of fresh water. Keep aside and let it soak till you prepare the chicken masala.
- Wash and dry the chicken.
- Next marinate the chicken with all the ingredients mentioned under ‘Marination’. Mix well and keep aside.
- Next take a crock pot or a large pressure cooker.
- Add the ghee to this and let it heat up.
- Next drop in the Star aniseed, cinnamom stick, green cardamom, bay leaf and black pepper corns. Let it sauté for 30 secs on low flame.
- Next add the green chillies and sliced onions. Sauté on a medium flame for 5 mins till the onions turn translucent.
- Next add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 2-3 mins.
- Drop in the marinated chicken and cook on a high flame for 5 mins, stirring continuously.
- Reduce the flame, and let it simmer for 5 mins till the chicken releases water.
- Add salt if needed and mix well.
- Drop in the soaked rice along with all the water it was soaking in. (In an ideal scenario, the water should completely cover the chicken.
- Give this a good mix so that the masala is evenly mixed with the water and rice.
- Cover the crock pot / cooker with the lid and let it cook on a high flame for 1 whistle (3-4 mins) and the reduce the flame to low and let it simmer for 5 mins.
- Let the cooker release the pressure on its own.
- Once cooker releases pressure, garnish with fresh coriander and serve it hot.
- Best enjoyed with a side of Cold Raita and some mint Chutney.
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