Maharashtrian Amti Recipe|How to make toor dal amti

A maharashtrian amti recipe is a comfort food for in most marathi homes. Amti is a typical Maharashtrian spicy dal which is slightly Sweet, spicy and tangy to taste. This dish is the essence of daily menu in most Maharastrian homes.It tastes simply heavenly with steamed rice & papad & a dollop of ghee.

I suggest to use goda masala while making amti. if you use any other masala like garam masalathen 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. 

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

Ingredients:

1 Cup Toor Dal

For Seasoning:

1 tbsp Oil

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds

1/8 tsp Asafoetida

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
5 to 6 Curry Leaves
4 to 5 Green Chilies, Sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup grated wet Coconut
1/4 cup Cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 to 1 1/2 tsp Goda Masala
1 tsp Jaggery
3 to 4 Kokum / 1 tbsp tamarind paste
Salt to taste

Method:

1) Wash and pressure cook Toor Dal for 6 to 7 whistles with a pinch of turmeric.

2) Mash cooked Toor Dal, Heat a pan, add Oil and let it heat. Then add Mustard seeds, Cumin Seeds, Asafoetida, Turmeric, curry leaves and green chilli Saute for few seconds. Add mashed Toor dal in this seasoning and stir. Also add water to adjust consistency.

3) Once Amti starts boiling, Stir and add Goda Masala,red chilli powder, Kokum/tamarind,coconut ,jaggery and salt. Let it boil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn off heat, cover pan with lid for 2-3 minutes to mingle all the flavors.
 4)while serving the amti dal, you can garnish with few coriander leaves if you prefer along with white rice. Drizzle little ghee to enhance the flavor.

Tips :

1. can add one chopped onion in step 2 & let it cook before adding the mashed dal.

2.Substitute kokum by using tamarind, amchur powder or lemon juice.

3. Substitute jaggery by using sugar.

4.Dont skip fresh grated coconut

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