Katachi Amti is tangy and spicy Maharashtrian dal prepared with chana dal (Bengal gram), dry coconut, tamarind pulp, jaggery, and a few spices. This thin tempered dal is popularly served with puran poli (vegan).
Here are a few more Maharashtrian recipes that you can try at home – Masale Bhat, Green Chilli Thecha, Taak, Misal Pav, Kolhapuri Egg Curry, Shankarpali, Shengdana Amti, Batata Vada, and Basundi.
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About This Recipe
Katachi Amti is a thin Maharashtrian lentil recipe prepared with chana dal, jaggery, tamarind, and freshly ground coconut paste. It is tangy, slightly sweet, and bursting with incredible flavors.
Traditionally, leftover water from cooking the chana dal for puran poli is used to make katachi amti, whereas cooked chana dal is used to make puran poli stuffing.
It is served with puran poli, especially during Maharashtrian festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi and Gudi Padwa. You can also serve it with plain steamed rice for a comforting weekday meal.
Ingredients
For The Dal Water
To make the dal water, you will need chana dal (Bengal Gram), water, salt, tamarind pulp, jaggery, and cilantro (fresh coriander leaves).
For The Ground Paste
A freshly ground paste is made with dry coconut, sesame seeds, cinnamon, green cardamoms, cloves, and black peppercorns.
For The Tempering
To temper the amti, you will need vegetable oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafetida (hing), turmeric powder, and Kashmiri red chili powder.
Avoid adding asafetida (hing) to make it gluten-free.
You can also add onions in tempering to make the amti more flavorful.
How To Make Katachi Amti
Cook the Dal
Wash 1 cup dal with water 2-3 times and soak it in 4-5 cups of water for 30 minutes.
Once the dal is soaked, drain the water and add the soaked chana dal to an instant pot.
Add 3 cups of water and close the lid of the instant pot.
Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 15 minutes on high pressure.
Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid of the instant pot.
Strain the cooked dal using a fine-mesh strainer and reserve the water for making katachi amti. Use the cooked dal to make Puran Poli.
Note – To cook the dal in a traditional pressure cooker, cook high heat for one whistle, then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes.
Make The Ground Paste
Add 1 tablespoon grated dry coconut, 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick, 2 whole green cardamoms, 2-3 cloves, and 2-3 black peppercorns to a pan and dry roast on medium heat until nicely browned, stirring continuously.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the roasted ingredients cool slightly.
Add the roasted ingredients to a blender jar along with ¼ cup water and blend to make a smooth paste.
Make The Amti
Add the dal water and the ground paste to a pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add 2 teaspoon tamarind pulp, 2 teaspoon grated jaggery, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, and ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and mix well.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5-6 minutes.
Add some water fi you like thinner amti and bring it to a boil once.
Temper The Amti
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 10-12 curry leaves, and ¼ teaspoon asafetida, and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
Pour the tempering over the amti and mix well.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with Puran Poli or Steamed Rice.
Serving Suggestions
Katachi Amti is traditionally served with Puran Poli. It is quite popular during Maharashtrian festivals such as Gudi Padwa, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc.
It can also be served with steamed rice, jeera rice, or any lightly spiced pulao recipes.
Storage Suggestions
Katachi Amti can be stored for 3-4 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pan or microwave until hot before serving.
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Recipe Card
Maharashtrian Katachi Amti Recipe
Ingredients
To Cook The Dal
- 1 cup chana dal (Bengal gram)
- 3 cups water
To Make A Paste
- 1 tablespoon grated dry coconut
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
- 2 whole green cardamoms
- 2-3 cloves
- 2-3 whole black peppercorns
For The Curry
- 2 teaspoons tamarind paste
- 2 teaspoons grated jaggery
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
For Tempering
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 10-12 curry leaves
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
Instructions
Cook The Dal
- Wash with water 2-3 times and soak it in 4-5 cups of water for 30 minutes.
- Once the dal is soaked, drain the water and add the soaked chana dal to an instant pot.
- Add 3 cups of water and close the lid of the instant pot.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 15 minutes on high pressure.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid of the instant pot.
- Strain the cooked dal using a fine-mesh strainer and reserve the water for making katachi amti. Use the cooked dal to make Puran Poli.
- Note – To cook the dal in a traditional pressure cooker, cook high heat for one whistle, then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes.
Make The Ground Paste
- Add dry coconut, sesame seeds, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves, and black peppercorns to a pan and dry roast on medium heat until nicely browned, stirring continuously.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the roasted ingredients cool slightly.
- Add the roasted ingredients to a blender jar along with ¼ cup water and blend to make a smooth paste.
Make The Amti
- Add the dal water and the ground paste to a pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add tamarind pulp, jaggery, salt, Kashmiri red chili powder, and turmeric powder, and mix well.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Add some water fi you like thinner amti and bring it to a boil once.
Temper The Amti
- Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and asafetida, and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Pour the tempering over the amti and mix well.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with Puran Poli or Steamed Rice.
Vaijayanti Naik
I use the puran that is made it gives more depth to the flavour.