amti recipe, how to make amti dal recipe | maharashtrian amti dal |Cooking With Amanda

by dassana amit updated February 2, 2014

amti recipe, maharashtrian amti , amti dal recipe

a maharashtrian amti recipe is a comfort food for us any day. as much as i like having amti with rice, i also like sipping it. in fact dal as such is a comfort food.

i make amti on those days when i have goda masala/kala masala in the kitchen. i had made a small batch of goda masala for making vangi bath (spiced brinjal rice). did not take the pic though of the goda masala.

i suggest to use goda masala while making amti. if you use any other masala like garam masala then you won't get the same results. the reason being garam masala has a different spice blend and goda masala has an altogether different one. there are some spices like dagad phool or kalpasi (stone flower), sesame seeds, dry red chilies & dessicated coconut which are not there in garam masala. this suggestion comes from someone who has made amti with garam masala. it tastes nice, but then it does not taste like amti, but just like a dal to which some coconut, tamarind and jaggery is added.

this amti recipe is slightly spiced and has both mild sour and sweet tones. the mild sour tones coming from tamarind and the light sweetness coming from jaggery. also the taste of the toor dal/pigeon pea lentils blends very well the rest of the ingredients. in the absence of tamarind, you can use kokum or lemon juice.

fresh coconut is also added to amti. its not essential, but a dash of fresh coconut brings a lot of flavor and taste to any dish. but at times when there is no coconut, i make the amti without coconut. the below pic is of amti made without coconut.

you can serve amti with rice or roti.

if you are looking for more maharashtrian recipes then do check kala vatana amti, varan bhaat, hurda pakora, peanut thecha and chawli usal recipe.

amti recipe: maharashtrian amti recipe

Author: dassana

Recipe type: main

Cuisine: indian, maharashtrian

1 cup toor/tuvar/arhar dal/pigeon pea lentils
a pinch of turmeric powder
2.5 cups water for pressure cooking

1 tsp seedless tamarind tightly packed + 2 tbsp hot water
1.5 to 2 tsp goda masala/kala masala
½ tbsp powdered jaggery or as required
½ tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 to 1.5 tbsp grated coconut (optional)
salt as required

½ tsp mustard seeds
7 to 9 curry leaves
1 to 2 green chilies or ¼ to ½ tsp red chili powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
a pinch of asafoetida
1 to 1.5 tbsp oil or ghee

few chopped coriander leaves

pick and rinse the dal first very well in water.
then add the dal in the pressure cooker along with 2.5 to 3 cups of water and a pinch of turmeric.
pressure cook the dal on medium to high flame for 7 to 8 whistles or till the dal is cooked completely and is of mashable consistency.
meanwhile, just heat 2 tbsp water and add tamarind to it.
soak for about 20 minutes.
squeeze the tamarind pulp from the soaked tamarind and keep aside.
when the pressure in the cooker settles down on its own, open the lid and mash the dal with a spoon or a masher. keep aside.
in another pan, heat oil.
first crackle the mustard seeds.
then add the turmeric powder and asafoetida.
stir and then add curry leaves, green chilies or red chili powder.
stir for a few seconds.
add the dal and stir.
add 1 cup water or as required to get a medium consistency in the dal.
season with goda masala, jaggery, tamarind pulp, coriander leaves, grated coconut and salt.
simmer for 10-12 minutes on a low flame with frequent stirring (so that the dal does not stick to the bottom of the cooker) till the desired consistency is reached.
lastly check the taste and add more salt, jaggery or goda masala if required.
while serving the amti dal, you can garnish with few coriander leaves if you prefer.
serve the amti with steamed rice topped with a little ghee.