Tudkiya Bhat is a delicious flavourful rice pulao, cooked using spices like cinnamon, bay leaf, chilli powder, ginger, garlic, cardamom, lentils, potatoes, onions, and yoghurt.
Serve Tudkiya Bhat with a side of Mashed dal/ Kangra Teliya Mah and lime… the ultimate comfort food!
Tukdiya Bhat, a Himachal Pradesh Specialty
Potatoes are used a lot in Himachal Pradesh Cuisine so it is no wonder that potatoes are used to make this rice. In addition, lentils added to the rice boost the protein content of the rice.
This month in the group Shhhhh Secretly Cooking we are exploring Himachal Pradesh cuisine and I am paired with Poonam who blogs at Annapurna. Do check her blog for some amazing recipes like the Himachal Pradesh Dhaam festival, her recent post is about the amazingly delicious mango dishes. Do check them out.
In Shhhhh Secretly Cooking, once we sign up we are paired with other bloggers. We get in touch with one another and exchange two ingredients, which need to star in the food we cook for the region. Poonam gave me ghee and cinnamon as my ingredients while I gave her oil and curds.
This is a great way to explore new cuisine and make new friends. Do try this group out.
The beautiful state of Himachal Pradesh offers a wide range of lip-smacking and savoury food items. The cuisine of Himachal Pradesh has a significant influence on the Punjabi and Tibetan styles of food. The people of Himachal Pradesh prefer very spicy food items.
In their daily and regular routine, Himachal Pradesh people have simple North Indian dishes that are easy to make and very tasty to eat. As compared to other states in north India, non-vegetarian cuisine is preferred.
Traditionally, Himachal Pradesh cuisine is dominated by red meat and wheat bread, thick and rich gravy, with aromatic spices, used in abundance as the base of many dishes. Until recently, tubers like potatoes and turnips were all they ate in the name of vegetables. Green vegetables, however, are increasingly finding their way into Himachali food.
One of the most important food items of the people of Himachal Pradesh is Dal and Chawal or plain rice and pulses, which are a very common food item of the north Indians.
Another delicious food of the region that is famous in is Roti Sabzi or flatbread made up of wheat and vegetable curry.
However, there may be local variations. For instance, in the barren regions of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti, there is more emphasis on locally grown coarse grains like buckwheat, millet and barley. In areas with a pastoral tradition, milk and its products are liberally used in cooking.
Himachal Pradesh cuisine was something that I had tried in the past when we did Indian Food Odyssey and had made chana madra. Recently for #BreadBakers, I made Siddu, a delicious speciality of the state.
Now enough of this and let us check out Tukdiya Bhat. First, my masala was a bit too much please use half the masala or double the rice. What I made was more of a biryani than a khichidi which it is supposed to be (I hope I am correct) as I have not tasted the authentic Tukdiya Bhat... yet!
The recipe for Tukdiya Bhat is something that I could find, I must thank Poonam as she sent me the link which gave a hint of Tukdiya Bhat from here. Both Poonam and I agreed it has to be like a khichidi.
Tukdiya Bhat, a Himachal Pradesh Specialty
Tukdiya Bhat
- Serves: 3 people
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes
- Cooking Time: 20 minutes
- Passive Time: 30 minutes
Method:
For the Rice:
- 1 cup rice
- ½ cup masoor(whole)
- 1 onion
- 2 potato
- ½ cup thick curds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cardamom
- 1 cardamom black
- 1 cinnamon sticks
- 2 tablespoon ghee
To grind:
- 1 tomato
- 1 onions
- 1 inch ginger
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 coriander leaves a small bunch
- 2 green chillies
- 1 cardamom
- 1 cardamom black
- 1 cinnamon sticks
- 2-3 mace strands
- 2 star anise
- 2 dagad phool
- 2 nagkesar /maggi
- ½ teaspoon poppy seeds
- 2 cloves
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (optional)
Method:
- Grind the ingredients under to grind to a fine paste. Transfer to a big bowl.
- Peel and chop the potatoes in batons about ½ in long and ¼ inch thick.
- Add the potatoes to the ground masala. Add salt and mix well. Let it sit for about 30 minutes. Mine was kept in the fridge overnight.
- Wash and soak the masoor in water. Set aside for about 30 minutes.
- Wash and rinse the rice. Soak in 2 cups of water.
- Meanwhile, chop the onions finely.
- Heat the ghee in a cooker add 1 bay leaf,1 cardamom,1 cardamom black, 1 cinnamon stick and sauté till you get a nice aroma.
- Add the onions and sauté until translucent.
- Add the ground masala and stir fry till you get a nice aroma.
- Add the curds and stir fry till the oil separates out.
- Add the drained rice and masoor and add 3 cups of warm water.
- Adjust the seasonings. Mix well.
- Cover with the cooker lid and cook for 2 whistles on high flame.
- Let the pressure drop naturally.
- Open the cooker, fluff the rice and serve with Mashed dal/ Kangra Teliya Mah and lime.
Tukdiya Bhat, a Himachal Pradesh Specialty
Tukdiya Bhat
Ingredients
For the Rice:
- 1 cup Rice
- ½ cup red lentil or masoor, whole
- 1 onion
- 2 Potatoes
- ½ cup yoghurt thick
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 green cardamom
- 1 cardamom black
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
To grind:
- 1 Tomatoes
- 1 onions
- 1 inch Ginger
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 leaves Coriander leaves a small bunch
- 2 Green chillies
- 1 green cardamom
- 1 cardamom black
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2-3 mace strands
- 2 star anise
- 2 dagad phool
- 2 marath magu/ nag chafa
- ½ teaspoon poppy seeds
- 2 Cloves
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder optional
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder optional
Instructions
- Grind the ingredients under to grind to a fine paste. Transfer to a big bowl.
- Peel and chop the potatoes in batons about ½ in long and ¼ inch thick.
- Add the potatoes to the ground masala. Add salt and mix well. Let it sit for about 30 minutes. Mine was kept in the fridge overnight.
- Wash and soak the ½ cup red lentil in water. Set aside for about 30 minutes.
- Wash and rinse the rice. Soak in 2 cups of water.
- Meanwhile, chop the onions finely.
- Heat the ghee in a cooker add 1 bay leaf,1 cardamom,1 cardamom black, 1 cinnamon stick and sauté till you get a nice aroma.
- Add the onions and sauté until translucent.
- Add the ground masala and stir fry till you get a nice aroma.
- Add the curds and stir fry till the oil separates out.
- Add the drained rice and red lentil, and, add 3 cups of warm water.
- Adjust the seasonings. Mix well.
- Cover with the cooker lid and cook for 2 whistles on high flame.
- Let the pressure drop naturally.
- Open the cooker, fluff the rice and serve with Mashed dal/ Kangra Teliya Mah and lime.
Shobha Keshwani says
Looks so delicious and inviting. I love Himachal recipes. Tried some of them recently.
ArchanaPotdar says
yes, they are tasty are they not Shobha?
Sujata Roy says
I love one pot meal. And this tukdiya bhat sounds super tempting. Delicious and flavourful rice. Your dish looks very inviting.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Sujata.
Priya Suresh says
Wow, Tukdiya bhat looks absolutely nutritious and wholesome. Simply flavourful and irresistible. Lovely one pot meal there.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Priya.
Seema Doraiswamy Sriram says
Archana, loved the recipe and even more loved the fact that you have described the geographical distribution of the grains.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Seema. History and Geography happen to be my weakness when I am writing posts. My kids have been telling me to stop doing that, but habits are hard to break.
Poonam Bachhav says
Himachal Pradesh Cuisine is so down to earth and full of flavors di !! The tukdiya bhat looks fabulous and you have done full justice with the ingredients !!
ArchanaPotdar says
😀
Freda @ Aromatic essence says
Totaly new dish for me again, nice to learn about a new dish! It sounds delicious 🙂
ArchanaPotdar says
😀
The girl next door says
The Rice looks so good! Delicious share! 🙂
ArchanaPotdar says
Thank you.
Priya Satheesh says
Oh wow... What a flavorful, healthy and tasty dish.. This is new to me and sounds interesting. Yummy share!
ArchanaPotdar says
Thank you.
Vidya Narayan says
I absolutely loved this rice dish and like you rightly said, potato is the star ingredient of this cuisine and I am not complaining as they are my favourite. Such a delicious meal, it really doesnt require anything on the side. Bookmarking this for sure!
ArchanaPotdar says
Thank you, Vidya! I am sure you will twist it so please do tag me.
Aruna says
Must be so aromatic and full of flavour. I like making one-dish meals like this one.
ArchanaPotdar says
😀 Thanks, Aruna.
Renu says
This looks so so delicious and tempting. Loved your presentation
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Renu.
sapana says
The name of the dish itself is so intriguing, I am sure it must have tasted divine too.
ArchanaPotdar says
Yes, it was amazingly delicious.
Anu says
Looks so delicious and addition of masoor dal to this Bhat makes it even more healthy.. best way to feed protein rich food to kids I believe!
ArchanaPotdar says
true Anu! Thanks.