Lauki Tehri | Bottle Gourd Rice

Lauki Tehri is a tasty, comforting, wholesome rice recipe packed with goodness of bottle gourd (also known as ghiya or dudhi). Made using a very few spices, it is an easy, quick, one-pot dish that can be enjoyed with curd (yoghurt), chutney or papad for a complete meal.

Tehri, originating from Uttar Pradesh state of India, refers to the rice dish cooked with ghee, turmeric, cumin (jeera) and veggies. You can perceive it as a less complex & easier version of pulao or biryani, made with fewer ingredients.

This no-onion no-garlic lauki rice is made especially at my home during summers when you want to make something quick, light yet filling. Served with chilled curd, fresh coriander-mint chutney and papad, it makes for an absolutely satisfying, flavourful meal.

Though tahri can have multiple vegetables but at my home we specifically use only lauki for it. The cauliflower-peas version is separate one which we make in winters. If you wish, you can also add potatoes, peas, french beans or carrots to it.

My nani (grandmother) asked me many times before to add this recipe on our blog. Though I love this dish but was a bit hesitant, wondering if the readers may not connect with it or find it too simple.

Recently, the famous actress Neena Gupta shared a similar recipe-‘Lauki Jabar’, where the rice are cooked with lauki in milk-water and tempered with garlic, spices, and curry leaves. The way people appreciated it all over the internet, made me realise that sometimes the simplest meals can be fondest, tastiest meals and inspired me to share this ‘Lauki Tehri’ recipe with you all.

Ingredients you’ll need-

Rice: Though any variety of rice can be used, but if you want that perfect non-sticky ‘khila-khila’ texture, opt for long grain basmati rice. They should be rinsed well and soaked to remove extra starch.

Lauki: As lauki is the hero ingredient of this dish, go for the freshest, spotless one when choosing for this recipe. Before you start cooking, taste a small piece of it as it should not be bitter. If there is any extra dudhi left after grating, you can use it for juicing, kofta or halwa.

Spices: There are just 3-4 spices in this dish out of which turmeric (haldi) is non-negotiable as it gives the tehri its trademark yellow colour. The quantity of red chilli powder can be adjusted depending on how spicy you want the dish to be. The fragrant garam masala is always added in the end as it a blend of aromatic spices and should not be cooked for long.

Ghee: Tehri tastes best when you use generous amounts of ghee while making it. Apart from sautéing spices in it, drizzle a spoonful of it on the hot steaming tehri along fresh chopped coriander before serving to enhance its taste.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice- 1 cup
• Lauki / Bottle Gourd (Shredded)- 2 cups (tightly packed)
• Ghee- 1.5 tbsp
• Hing / Asafoetida- A pinch
• Jeera / Cumin Seeds- 1 tsp
• Haldi / Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder- 3/4 tsp
• Salt- (1 + 1/2) tsp (to taste)
• Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
• Coriander (chopped)- 2 to 3 tbsp

Directions:

Step 1:
Wash rice 1-2 times till the water runs clear. Soak them in fresh water for 15-20 min. In the mean time, let’s move to next step.

Step 2:
Chop off the top and bottom part of lauki. Peel & cut it in half. Cut each part vertically in half. If the seeds inside are too big, chop off the core part to remove them.

Step 3:
Shred the bottle gourd using a grater (use the side with large holes). If you are short of time, then instead of shredding, finely chop in a chopper or food processor. Measure and use 2 cups of it.

Step 5:
Add grated lauki to the spices and mix once again.

Step 6:
Drain the rice over a sieve (discard the water). Add it along with fresh water and salt. Mix gently (Taste the water, it should be on saltier side). Adjust it as per your liking.

Step 7:
Pressure cook for 1 whistle and simmer for 4 min. Turn off the heat and let the pressure release naturally.

Step 8:
Open the lid. Fluff the rice with a fork. Sprinkle garam masala on it and mix lightly. Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve it hot with green chutney, papad, mint raita, or curd (yoghurt).

Tips:

1. Any leftover ghiya rice can be stored in fridge for upto 2 days in an airtight container. To reheat, add a splash of water and microwave for 50-60 seconds.
2. Taste a small piece of bottle-gourd before grating as it should not be bitter.
3. Do soak the rice for sometime to remove their extra starch.

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(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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