Bangladeshi Chicken Tehari is a very famous and delicious recipe of making or mixing chicken with rice. I personally find this recipe very easy to make and it seems like an alternative to making Biryani but in a very easy & quick steps. But Tehari is a lighter brown, beige color mostly.(if you cook it in a right way) whereas “Biryani is more yellow, reddish because of the saffron and spices masala that we add while making biryani.
But What exactly is Chicken Tehari? Chicken Tehari is an aromatic and mouthwatering rice dish popular throughout Bangladesh, where the chicken is nicely cooked in a very light gravy made of yogurt and aromatic spices and then mixed later with prepared rice and cooked on lowest of heat to be served mostly with raita or salad. In fact, In Bangladesh, Tehri refers to Biryani prepared by adding the meat to the rice, as opposed to traditional Biryani where the rice is added to the meat.
Chicken Tehari recipe, personally reminded me of having Yakhni Pulao. It is light and wholesome with aromatic spices and curd base gravy, this chicken-rice ‘Tehari’ recipe will surely make your weekend lunch a peaceful one that you will remember!

Ingredients To Make Chicken Gravy:
Items | Quantity |
Chicken (large pieces with bones) | 750 gm |
Bay leaves | 2 |
Green Cardamom | 5 |
Cinnamon Stick | 2 |
Cloves | 5 |
Onion (sliced) | 2 large size |
Garlic Paste | 1 tbsp |
Ginger Paste | 1 tbsp |
Plain Yogurt/Curd | 1/2 cup |
Nutmeg Powder (Jaiphal) | 1/4 tsp |
Mace Powder (Javitri) | 1/4 tsp |
Black Pepper | 1 tsp |
Dried Prunes | 5-6 |
Salt | To Taste |
Sugar | 1 tsp |
Olive Oil | 2 tbsp |
Mustard Oil | 2 tbsp |
Rice Ingredients:
Items | Quantity |
White Basmati Rice | 500 g |
Black Cumin Seeds (Shahi Jeera) | 1/2 tsp |
Onion (sliced) | 2 medium size |
Green Chilies (sliced) | 5-6 chilies |
Salt | 1 tsp/To Taste |
Hot Water | 750 ml |
Fried Brown Onions (optional) | To Garnish |
Olive Oil | 2 tbsp |
Mustard Oil | 1 tbsp |
Preparation:
- Wash and soak basmati rice in a bowl for at least 30 minutes to 1hr before cooking. Drain the water and keep it aside.
How To Cook:
Step 1: In a heated pan, add cooking oil and mustard oil, add bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and onion. Sauté until onions are translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste. Fry 6-7 minutes over medium flame.
Step 2: Add chicken pieces, Sauté chicken at high heat for 10 minutes, turn the flame on low; cover & cook the chicken for 10 minutes. (toss & turn in between to avoid sticking & burning)
Step 3: Remove the lid, add yogurt/curd, sprinkle nutmeg powder, mace powder, and dried prunes. Mix & Stir over medium flame. Cover & Slow Simmer 20 minutes over low-medium flame, occasionally stirring in between. The chicken will have gravy that will be mixed with rice.
Step 4: In another pan, add mustard oil, cooking oil, and chopped onions. Sauté onions until they are slightly brown. Add soaked basmati rice, hot water, and salt to taste. Close the lid and cook rice until it’s 90% done at high heat.
Step 5: Add chicken mix into the pan with rice and mix them all together. Add green chilies and garnish with fried brown onions.
Step 6: Cover with a lid & Cook tehari further over low heat. Cook for 15-20 mins at lowest heat or dome (dome is a process to cook at a very low heat on closed lid). Serve Hot.

If you liked our recipe on‘Chicken Tehari’ do like, share, comment and subscribe/follow my blog and also Subscribe to our new Youtube Chanel – bongappétit for many more such exclusively, authentic and delicious food recipes at home. Stay Safe, Stay Healthy!

Follow our Food Journey on Social Media & Youtube :
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/c/BonGappétitIndia
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/rakhijana_
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/rakhi.jana.9/
BonGappétit
Images are subject to copyright.©