highlights
The variety and taste of the food prepared in the kitchen of Kayasthas has been different.
In the kitchen of Kayasthas, many dishes are made from rice – various types of khichdi, tahari, pulao and biryani.
To say that Tehri is a simple and balanced food but very tasty.
This is a big question whether Kayasthas like rice or wheat better. The reality is that both. Even today, in the traditional families of Kayasthas, if the entire meal was cooked during the day, then roti and vegetables were often cooked in the evening. Often day or night meal i.e. lunch or dinner was also replaced with Khichdi or Tehri. Well, the true thing is that wherever Kayastha settled in the country, there was always a balance of wheat, rice and pulses along with various dishes in their kitchen. Today I am going to talk about special dishes made from rice in the kitchens of Kayasthas for a long time.
Well, there are fans of rice all over the world. Its story is very interesting. It is said that millions of years ago rice used to grow as a grass. It was considered a weed. Later, when the cave-dwelling man Adam pressed it casually into his mouth, he liked its taste. When he scattered the grains grown with this grass on the ground, after a few days he saw rice grass growing there. He understood how this edible thing could be grown. The history of systematic farming in India dates back to around 9000-10000 BC.
It is believed that rice spread all over the world from India. Although China also claims that it grew rice first but the reality is that rice reached China from here. Then in other countries of the world.
Recently I read Devendra Mewari’s book “Crops tell the story” Was reading. In which it has been explained in detail. Katie Achaya’s book Indian Food History describes it as being in India before the Indus Valley Civilization. The oldest seeds of paddy in the world have been found in the village of Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh. From our pujas to all our rituals, there is no such ritual which is complete without rice or paddy. Recently, before the Pran Pratistha Puja of Ram temple in Ayodhya, intact rice is being delivered to every home across the country. There are more than 40,000 varieties of rice around the world. It has more than 1000 main varieties in India.
Thousands of years ago, paddy grew on the mountains like a wild grass. (courtesy farmer helpline)
What is the difference between Tehri, Pulao and Biryani?
Now coming to the real issue. In the kitchen of Kayasthas, many dishes are made from rice – the most important ones are Khichdi, Tehri, Pulao and Biryani. Rice flour is used to make chilla and phare.
Many times people get confused as to what is the difference between Tehri, Pulao and Biryani. Tehri is a completely vegetarian Awadhi dish. Turmeric and some spices are added in very small quantities to it. Pulao is generally known as a dish made of rice and meat cooked with spices. In Biryani, rice is cooked separately and spicy meat is cooked separately, then both are layered one above the other and kept in a closed vessel on low flame. There are 21 types of spices in it.
Katie Achaya’s “Indian Food: A Historical Companion” (Indian Food: A Historical Companion) It has been said in history about Pulao that such a dish was made during the Mahabharata. It is also said that when Alexander came to the northwestern provinces of India with his army, he liked it so much that he took it to Macedonia.
Kayastha Ki Tehri (news18 gfx)
How Tehri was born in the kitchen of Kayasthas
By the way, about Tehri, I should say that it is a unique innovation of the Kayasthas of Lucknow, which was born from the way of making pulao of the Nawabs. To say that Tehri is a simple and balanced food but very tasty. If rice, vegetables and spices are used in the right proportion. If these are cooked properly then you will enjoy divine taste. This is a favorite food in Kayastha families. Especially in winter when all kinds of vegetables are available – cabbage, peas and green coriander add life to it.
Tehri is a very simple and very nutritious food. If it is eaten with chutney, chopped onions dipped in vinegar, raita and papad then it would be great. This is such a dish, if you add pure ghee while serving it, then this food will satisfy even the soul.
Good rice should always be used in Tehri. Generally, Basmati rice should be soaked in salt water a few hours before making Tehri. Due to this, every grain of rice will separate like crystals. This is also the identity of good rice from Tehri. However, if you soak it in plain water then there is no problem.
Basmati Tehri
When a French traveler named Tavernier (Jean-Baptiste Tavernier) came to India, he found that a wonderful tahari was made from Basmati rice grown in the foothills of the mountains. After ripening, each of its grains blooms and looks different.
Well, if you want to know its recipe then it will be something like this-
one and a half cup basmati rice
01 onion
2 tomatoes
02 green chillies
01 teaspoon fresh ginger paste and one teaspoon garlic paste
salt as per taste
chilli powder
half teaspoon cumin
half teaspoon turmeric
one large potato cut into small pieces
Half cup chopped cabbage
half cup peas
01 Black cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf
04 to 06 black peppercorns
04 cloves
One to one and a half tablespoons oil
how to make
Heat oil, let onion brown. Mix chopped tomatoes. Then chopped chillies, now ginger-garlic paste. Then mix cumin, turmeric and red chili powder together. Fry it on high flame for some time. Now add potatoes, cabbage, peas and if desired, chopped carrots. Reduce the flame to medium. Keep roasting it for some time.
When everything seems to be well combined and roasted, then add about four cups of hot water to it. Along with garam masala. After a minute or two, drain the rice and mix it in. Keep the flame on high, till the rice and chopped vegetables are cooked and mixed properly, when it seems that the water is about to dry. Then reduce the flame. Close it tightly so that steam does not escape. Switch off the flame after 03-04 minutes. Leave the closed vessel like this for 05 minutes.
Now add green chopped coriander on top. Tehri is ready to eat. If you eat it with chutney, salad and raita, pickle and papad, you will get divine taste. Such taste will satisfy you. However, Tehri is made in many other ways also. If you want, you can also make it with cheese, French beans, capsicum, mushrooms. (The episode will be continued in the next episode about Khichdi and the beauty that grows in the kitchens of Kayastha houses in winters)
read this also
Food and drink of Kayasthas1: How is the kitchen of Lalas decorated, what is cooked in it
Food of Kayasthas 02: From kebabs to new style of biryani which came out of their kitchen
Food and drink of Kayasthas 03: Shab Degh meat which was very tasty and dal liver
Food and drink of Kayasthas 04: If there is no Shami Kebab and Seenk Kebab, then what kind of food will the Lalas of Lucknow have?
Food and drink of Kayasthas 05: Meat utensils were never mixed in the main kitchen utensils, wonderful Nimona was prepared in winters.
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Tags: food, food diet, Food Recipe, Prayagraj cuisine
FIRST PUBLISHED: January 13, 2024, 11:19 IST
