Katachi Amti – a traditional Maharashtrian dish

Katachi Amti is a  Maharashtrian style spicy, tangy, runny dal made from the stock leftover from cooking chana dal. Generally, when Puranpoli is made, the water in which chana dal is cooked ( for the puranpoli stuffing), is used to make Katachi Amti. Katachi Amti is typically savoured with Puranpoli, but tastes equally good with steamed rice. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

½ cup split gram (chana dal)
4 tsp grated fresh coconut (nariyal)
2 tsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp mustard seeds (sarson/ rai)
½ tsp asafoetida (hing)
2 bay leaves (tej patta)
A small piece of cinnamon (dalchini)
Few curry leaves (kadi patta)
1 tbsp goda masala
½ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp red chilly powder (laal mirch)
4 tbsp tamarind pulp (imli) *
A small piece of jaggery (gud)
Salt as per taste (namak)
1 tbsp chopped  coriander leaves (hara dhaniya)

Method

• Wash and soak chana dal for 3 hours.  
• In a pressure cooker add the soaked chana dal, 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
• Once the pressure escapes fully, open the pressure cooker.
• Strain the chana dal stock.
• Add 3 tsp of cooked chana dal to the stock and keep it aside.
• This chana dal stock is the main ingredient for making Katachi Amti.
• The cooked dal can be used to make puran poli.
• Heat a pan and dry roast the grated coconut till it changes its colour.
• After it cools, add little water and grind to a semi coarse paste.
• Keep the coconut paste aside.
• Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan.
• Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, curry leaves, hing and saute for few seconds.
• Add the chana dal stock and mix.
• Add coconut paste, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, goda masala, tamarind pulp, jaggery and mix well.
• Add salt as per taste and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve with puranpoli or steamed rice.

Note:

*To make tamarind pulp, soak a lemon sized ball of tamarind in ½ cup water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, squeeze the tamarind well using your fingers. Strain the mixture and discard the tamarind remains.

In case, you do not have goda masala, garam masala can be used instead.

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If you like traditional Maharashtrian recipes, do have a look at the following  recipes:

Vaalacha Birda, Masale Bhaat, Mugache Pandhre Birde, Bharli Vaangi, Ambat Varan , Aluwadi