I like to cook and eat natural, healthy, and tasty foods, and I enjoy sharing recipes from my native Indian cuisine.

An Excellent Breakfast or Lunch

Vegetable tahari is a tasty and nurtritious meal with plenty of vegetables, whole spices, and curds. It is a special Avadhi dish from Uttar Pradesh, India.

Making this dish is very easy; it is a one-pot meal that can be made in just 40 minutes. I used French beans, peas, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes, and onions, but you can add or omit vegetables as you like.

This dish pairs well with cucumber-onion raita on the side. You can pack this dry food in a lunch box for school or a picnic, and enjoy the taste.

Now, let's learn how to make vegetable tahari.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup basmati rice, washed, soaked in water for 30 minutes
• 1/4 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• 1 potato, cubed
• 8 French beans, cut lengthwise
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1/4 tsp pepper powder
• 1 carrot, cubed
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, or 1/4 inch ginger crushed with 3 garlic cloves
• 1 cup curds or yogurt, medium sour
• 1/4 cup finely chopped mint leaves
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cloves
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 3-4 tsp oil, I used 2 tsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped, for garnishing
• 1/4 tsp amchur powder/dry mango powder (optional)
• Pinch sugar (optional), to balance the flavors
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Wash the rice well. Soak it in fresh water for 30 minutes and then strain.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker base or in a thick-bottomed pot. Add whole spices. Saute for 1 minute.
3. Add green chilies and ginger-garlic paste. Saute for a few seconds. You will get a nice aroma from the roasted spices.
4. Throw in chopped onions. Saute them till they become translucent.
5. Add chopped tomatoes. Continue sauteing till they are a bit mushy.
6. Add turmeric powder and chopped mint leaves. Saute for a while.
7. Now, add vegetables. Throw in some salt. Mix well with the other ingredients. Saute on a medium-high heat for 1 minute.
8. Add whisked curds. Stir the mix well. Let the mix boil for 1 minute.
9. Add soaked rice. Continue stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add about 4 cups of water. Bring the mix to a boil.
10. Add remaining salt, sugar (optional), pepper powder, and amchur powder (optional). Boil the mix for 2-3 minutes.
11. Now, close the pressure cooker lid. Place the weight. Cook till 2 whistles. Simmer for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat.
12. Once the entire pressure releases naturally, open the lid. Fluff it with a fork.
13. Serve as is, garnished with chopped coriander leaves, or serve with a cucumber-onion raita on the side. Enjoy this healthy and appetizing main course!

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