Tehri, tehar, tehari, or tahri (also rarely tapahri) is a spicy yellow rice dish originating from Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh in India and in Old Dhaka Bangladesh. Spices are added to plain cooked rice for flavor and colour adding multiple vegetables and beans. In Bangladeshi one comes with boneless beef and cooked together with rice. No potatoes are added, unlike the Kachchi Biryani. In one version of tehri in India, potatoes are added to the rice.
As per Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary, the Awadhi word tehri is derived from the Sanskrit word tÃÂpaharë, which is a dish prepared from rice, dal chunks (badi) and vegetables, cooked in ghee with spices, especially turmeric.
The recipe for Tahari is mentioned with name Tapahari in ancient Ayurvedic treatise written in Sanskrit language, which was a preparation of rice cooked with vegetables and other ingredients. The recipe for Tahari also finds mention in Pakadarpana (1200 CE) cookbook, which uses meat of hen. Bhojanakutà «hala (1675 CE) Sanskrit book on cookery and culinary traditions mentions taharë rice dish and it was eaten with side-dish of fried lentil fritters known as "vaá¹Âakas". The ingredients for cooking tÃÂpaharë in 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. Pakadarpana cookbook adds meat of hen to this before cooking. In Bhojanakuthuhala, this rice dish was eaten with fried fritters known as Vaá¹Âakas prepared from black-gram flour, rice flour and mixed with turmeric and fried in ghee. This preparation was called taharë or tÃÂpaharë. Recipe also finds mentioned in BhÃÂvaprakÃÂà Âa Nighaá¹Âá¹Âu, a 16th-century medical treatise.
Tahari became more popular during the Second World War when meat prices increased substantially and potato became the popular substitute in biryani. In Muhajir families of Pakistan, who migrated from Uttar Pradesh, it is considered as a royal traditional dish. Some variants include addition of mutton, beef or chicken, specially when served in feasts.