Katachi Amti is a traditional Maharashtrian dal recipe. This dal has a wonderful balance of sweet, tangy and spicy flavors. Traditionally served with puranpoli. Tastes great with steamed rice and ghee.
What is Katachi Amti?
Made using the leftover chana dal stock. It is watery in consistency. This dal stock is spiced with cinnamon clove powder, Maharashtrian goda masala and basic spices. Each household has their own version of katachi amti. However today, I am sharing my family recipe without onions and tomatoes. It uses minimum ingredients and is full of flavors. It is a prefect balance of sweetness from jaggery, tanginess from tamarind & spiciness from cinnamon & cloves.
Ingredients:
My family recipe uses minimum ingredients:
Dal Stock / Kat: I have used stock of chana dal to make this amti. To dilute the stock I have added water.
Chana dal: I have added cooked chana dal as it helps in thickening the amti. However, it is totally optional.
Spices: My family uses freshly pounded cinnamon clove powder, goda masala and chili powder for the distinct flavor. Dried grated coconut, tamarind and jaggery along with the above spices as a base for this recipe. Alternatively, some recipes use tomato instead of tamarind.
Tempering ingredients: I have tempered the stock with fresh curry leaves, mustard seeds, turmeric powder and asafotedia.
How to make Kat / Dal stock:
There are two ways to make kat aka stock. You can either pressure cook chana dal and use the leftover stock to make this recipe. Alternatively, you can separately boil chana dal.
Here’s how I make Kat:
- Rinse and soak 2 cups chana dal in enough water for 2 hours. Alternatively, if you are pressed on time you can soak it in hot water for about 15 minutes.
- Drain the water and add the dal to the pressure cooker along with 4 cups of water.
- Pressure cook the dal upto 4-5 whistles or until the dal softens.
- Once the pressure settles down, strain the cooked dal. Collect the leftover stock in a bowl. You can either use it right away or store it in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
How to serve amti?
Katachi amti is traditionally served along with puranpoli or steamed rice and ghee .
