In praise of tehari: a rice delicacy of days bygone

By Pushpesh Pant It has been well said that ‘for forms of government let fools contend.' The adage can be adapted suitably for rice delicacies. I still remember vividly the day — about half a century back — when Ammi (Zahra Rai, mother of a dear friend) treated us to a tehari in her house in Hauz Khas in the Capital. She hailed from a distinguished Shia family from Banaras and was an exceptionally gifted cook. She was brought up to cook and feed the family and friends with seasonally appropriate meals and decided her daily menu carefully balancing heavy with light recipes.Her rendering of tehari was simple yet subtle. This was the day after a fabulous banquet and the dil was asking for not more but less. Seldom have we encountered a plateful that governed the palate and stomach so well. There was a time – how long ago it seems – when zeera tempered rice was not palmed off as zeera pulav, nor a mindless medley of mixed vegetables plus long grained rice justified the pompous title of navaratan (nine gems) pulav. A time when tehari was truly appreciated.[caption id="attachment_32918" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="A spoonful of tehari brings to the palate a multi-layered mouthful of rice, potatoes and cauliflower florets. Image courtesy: Pushpesh Pant"][/caption]The joy of pulav as everyone knows is the flavour absorbed by the rice grains cooked in stock. The meat and vegetables retain their own tastes. Biryani, as the name indicates, involves frying the rice before its boiled till it is cooked nine-tenths. The marinated meats or stir-fried spicy vegetables are alternated with layers of rice and the delicacy ‘finished’ on dum — slow cooked on low heat in a tightly sealed cover.Plain Jane tehari, akin to Cinderella before her transformation, requires no such fancy footwork or cosmetics. Its wholesome beauty shines undiminished without adornments. It doesn’t have the aromas of sweet ittar or subtle enchantment of biryani. Alas, the long running feud between die-hard supporters of pulav and biryani has (most unfortunately) resulted in criminal neglect of tehari – a stellar extremely satisfying no frills dish — that is fast fading into an inglorious sunset.We were shocked when a friend recently served us what he called tehari that incorporated both vegetables and lentils. Lentils paired with rice can only spawn kicharhi, a bird of distinctly different plumage. Our heart was pierced by a sharp twinge of pain at the loss of the traditional recipe at least in this one food-loving family.It is believed that the name derives from the — which literally means 'a layer'. A spoonful of tehari brings to the palate a multi-layered mouthful of rice, potatoes and cauliflower florets. Sometimes sweet green peas add to the delight.The dish is uncomplicated and aromatised with bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, and packs a pleasant punch contributed by whole peppercorns. The vegetables are cut into bite sized pieces and stir-fried in ghee tempered with cumin and coriander seeds. A pinch of turmeric powder lends tehari an auspicious yellow tint. It harbours no exotic pretentions but offers a refreshing break from the monotony of steamed rice.Few today remember that tehari was greatly relished as a specialty one-dish meal in even primarily wheat-eating regions. The blue-blooded gourmet chef Maharaja Digvijai Singhji of Sailana had even created a maans ki tehari — a non vegetarian version. Yet blinded by the desire to consume and offer to guests ‘expensive and exotic’ rice delicacies we have let the worthy tehari fall by the wayside.Recipe on page 2The Recipe:Preparation time: 30 minutes, soaking time; 20-25 minutes, cooking time.Serves fourIngredients[caption id="attachment_32918" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="A spoonful of tehari brings to the palate a multi-layered mouthful of rice, potatoes and cauliflower florets. Image courtesy: Pushpesh Pant"][/caption]• 300gm rice• 2 potatoes (medium sized. Pealed, washed and quartered)• 1 small head of cauliflower (washed and broken into florets)• 100gms green peas ( thaw if using frozen)• 4tbs ghee• 1 bay leaf• 3 cloves• 1 brown cardamom• 2 to three green cardamoms• 1 cinnamon stick 1inch long• ½ tsp black peppercorns• ¼ tsp of turmeric powder• Salt to taste Method:Pick and wash the rice. Soak for about 15 minutes, drain and keep aside.Heat ghee in a large thick-based pan over medium flame and add the bay leaves and whole spices. Stir-fry for a minute. Now put in the potatoes, cauliflower and the peas. Stir-fry for another minute then add the rice and season rice. Stir for a minute then pour water enough to come about an inch above the surface of the rice. Add turmeric powder and stir gently. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes till the rice is fluffy and has absorbed all moisture. Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh coriander.Food scholar Pushpesh Pant is a professor of diplomacy at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University who believes that food is an integral part of any civilization and should be conserved for future generations.