Entree: Bangladesh – Central Culinary Region – তেহারি ➤ Tehārī (A spiced one-pot rice and meat pilaf cooked with potatoes and whole aromatic spices)
Serving Size: 4
Approximate Time
Prep
25 min
Cook
45 min
Additional
10 min
Total
1 hr 20 min
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) ghee
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 lb (454 g) beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups (370 g) basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp (30 g) ginger-garlic paste
- 1/2 cup (120 g) plain yogurt
- 3 1/2 cups (830 ml) beef broth or water
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 small cinnamon stick (about 1 inch / 2.5 cm)
- 1 tbsp (8 g) ground coriander
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground cumin
- 1 tsp (5 g) turmeric
- 1 tsp (5 g) red chili powder, or to taste
- 1 tsp (5 g) garam masala
- 1 1/2 tsp (8 g) salt, or to taste
- 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
- 1 green chili, slit (optional)
Instructions
1. Rinse the soaked basmati rice until water runs clear and drain. Pat beef pieces dry and season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric.
2. Heat ghee and oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Fry sliced onions until deep golden and aromatic; remove half for garnish.
3. Add the beef pieces to the pot and brown on all sides with whole spices (bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon) about 6–8 minutes.
4. Stir in ginger-garlic paste and cook 2 minutes, then add yogurt, ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, red chili powder, and garam masala; cook until oils separate and mixture is fragrant.
5. Add the cubed potatoes and the drained rice, gently mixing to coat grains. Pour in beef broth, season with remaining salt, and add slit green chili if using. Bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer 18–22 minutes until rice and potatoes are tender and liquid absorbed. Turn off heat and let rest 10 minutes.
7. Fluff rice gently, garnish with reserved fried onions and chopped cilantro, and serve hot.
