Achari Tahiri (Pickling Potato Rice) Recipe

If you take the Masala from Mango pickles and add to the potatoes and rice, you would be creating Achari (Pickling) Tahiri (vegetable and rice). You can use any type of potatoes to make this dish. I use red potatoes, they give nice color. I choose potatoes about the size of a large egg and cut them in half. If you want, you may chop up some pickled mangoes and add them before add them along with potatoes in the recipe.

Ingredients

1. Basmati Rice: 2 cups

Saffron Aroma water

1. Water: 5 cups

2. Saffron: ½ teaspoon

3. Salt: ½ teaspoon or to taste.

4. Cinnamon stick 3"x¼" broken in half: 1

5. Cloves: 5

6. Black peppercorn:6

7. Black Cardamom cracked open: 3

Potato Base

1. Mustard seed oil: 2 Tablespoon
Mustard seed oil gives the unique pungency characteristic of a mango pickle.
2. Peanut oil: 2 Tablespoon
3. Chopped Onions: 1 Cup
4. Minced Garlic: ½ Tablespoon
5. Ginger chopped: ½ Inch
6. Red Potatoes (Cut in half): 1 Pound

Choose potatoes that are about the size of a large egg
7. Hari Mirch (Fresh Serrano peppers) sliced in half vertically: 3
8. Amchoor (Mango powder): ¼ teaspoon
9. Kasoori Patta (Dried Fenugreek leafs): 1 teaspoon

Pickling spices

1. Whole Fennel (Saunf): ½ teaspoon
2. Whole Fenugreek seeds: ½ teaspoon

3. Cumin seeds: ½ teaspoon

4. Whole onion seeds (Kalonji): ½ teaspoon
5. Crushed Red pepper: ½ teaspoon
Crushed peppers have whole seeds. This is not same as chili powder.

Method

1. Wash and rinse Basmati rice. Presoak in plenty of water at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using.

2. Saffron Aroma water

Add salt and spices to water. Crush and saffron to water. Bring it to a boil. Cover, Steep on low heat for 15 minutes. Set aside.

3. Potato Base

1. In a heavy bottom pan heat mustard seed oil and peanut oil together. Add chopped onions and sauté till onions turn clear. (about 4 minutes)

2. Add Garlic, Ginger, Potatoes, and Hari Mirch. Sauté for about 4 minutes.

3. Add remaining ingredient including pickling spices. Sauté for about 4 minutes.

4. Cooking

1. Add saffron water to potatoes in Masala. Bring it to a boil

2. Drain and add pre-soaked Rice. Bring to a boil.

3. Cook covered about 15 minutes or till potatoes and rice are done. Turn off heat. Keep it covered for 15 minutes till all the water is absorbed.