Katachi Amti Recipe, How to make Amti with Puran poli

Katachi amti is a flavored dal accompaniment with puran poli. It is thin tangy and tempered dal from Maharashtrian cuisine.

Recently when my mom made puran poli, she made katachi amti with it. When you cook chana dal (Bengal gram lentil) for puran poli, add little extra water in pressure cooker. Once dal is cooked, drain and reserve the water. The stock that is strained from the cooked chana dal is used in making katachi amti.

The stock of the chana dal can be used any time you boil dal for various other preparations like kachori, chana dal kabab or tikki etc.

In Maharashtrian families, this amti is prepared with authentic freshly ground masala, which gives amazing taste to this amti. However if you don’t have time to make it, just add the goda masala to the recipe.

Step by step katachi amti recipe:
To make chana dal stock-

Wash and soak 1 cup chana dal in water for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

After an hour, put chana dal in pressure cooker and cook until 4-5 whistles.

After the dal is cooked or boiled, strain out all water from dal using strainer.

We will require 2 cups of stock for the recipe.

Fresh masala for amti-

1. Heat ½ tsp oil on skillet and once hot enough, start roasting on low heat; first 1 tbsp. chana dal and 1-2 dry red chili.
   
2. Then add ½ tbsp. rice followed by ½ tbsp. whole coriander seeds/sabut dhaniya.
   
3. And lastly add 1 tbsp. dry grated coconut.
   
4. Once it cools down, grind it to fine powder. We will require 1 tbsp. of the ground masala.
   

 Tempering the katachi amti-

1. Take the chana dal stock in a bowl and mix in red chili powder, garam masala or goda masala, cinnamon stick, clove and 1 tbsp. of the ground masala(made in above steps). Mix well.
   
2. Heat a heavy bottom pan. Add oil and heat it. Add mustard seeds/rai, cumin seeds/jeera, asafoetida/hing, bay leaf (tej patta), curry leaves and turmeric powder.
   
3. Pour over the dal stock mixture.
   
4. Let the amti boil.
   
5. Once it start boiling add the soaked kokam and 2 tbsp. boiled unmashed chana dal. Give it a stir. Add more water to adjust the consistency. Season with salt. Cook for 5 minutes.
   
6. Turn off the heat.Serve hot with puran poli.
   

Maharashtrian katachi amti recipe below:

Katachi amti recipe Prep time Cook time Total  20 min 15 min 35 min Thin spicy dal made from chana dal stock, which is served with puran poli. AUTHOR: Monali RECIPE TYPE: Side CUISINE: Indian, Maharashtrian SERVES: 4 INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup=237 ml) Fresh ground masala- ½ tsp oil 1 tbsp. chana dal/Bengal gram lentil 1-2 dry red chili ½ tbsp. rice ½ tbsp. whole coriander seeds/sabut dhaniya 1 tbsp. grated coconut  Chana dal stock mixture- 2 cup stock of cooked chana dal/Bengal gram 1” cinnamon stick/dal chini 2 cloves/lavang ¼ tsp red chili powder ½ tsp. garam masala/goda masala  For tempering- 2 tsp oil ¼ tsp cumin seeds/ jeera ¼ tsp mustard seeds/ rai A pinch of asafoetida/hing 3-4 curry leaves ¼ tsp turmeric powder/ haldi 2-3 kokam 2 tbsp. cooked(boiled) chana dal (do not mash) 2 cups of water or as required Salt to taste 2 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro DIRECTION To make chana dal stock- Wash and soak 1 cup chana dal in water for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. After an hour, put chana dal in pressure cooker and cook until 4-5 whistles. After the dal is cooked or boiled, strain out all water from dal using strainer. We will require 2 cups of stock for the recipe. Fresh ground masala- Roast all ingredients in sequence mentioned above on low heat in ½ tsp oil: chana dal, dry red chili, rice, whole coriander seeds/sabut dhaniya, and dry grated coconut. Once it cools down, grind it to fine powder. We will require 1 tbsp. of the ground masala. Tempering the katachi amti- Take the chana dal stock in a bowl and mix in red chili powder, garam masala or goda masala, cinnamon stick, clove and 1 tbsp. of the ground masala. Mix well. Heat a heavy bottom pan. Add oil and heat it. Add mustard seeds/rai, cumin seeds/jeera, asafoetida/hing, curry leaves and turmeric powder. Pour over the dal stock mixture. Let the amti boil. Once it start boiling add the soaked kokam (soak it for 10 minutes, right before starting the recipe)and 2 tbsp. boiled unmashed chana dal. Give it a stir. If required add more water; the amti should have thin consistency, so adjust the water accordingly.  Also add salt to taste.   Cook for 5 minutes. Add fresh cilantro and turn off the heat.  NOTES You can use 1 tsp. tamarind pulp instead of kokum. Many people use another method to make katachi amti. Make the mixture of the chana dal stock and add in kokam and rest of the spice powders. Bring it boil. Heat a small pan, add ghee/oil and make tempering same as step __, and pout it over boiling amti. Boil it more for few minutes. Some folks add jaggery to this recipe.  SERVING SUGGESTION Serve piping hot amti as an accompaniment with puran poli. However it tastes amazing with steamed rice.