Amti (Maharashtrian spiced lentil curry)

A tangy, lightly sweetened lentil curry from Maharashtra, amti brings together the comfort of toor dal with the rich aroma of goda masala, tamarind and jaggery. It’s wholesome, nourishing and pairs beautifully with steamed rice and papad for a traditional finish.

Credit: Supplied by Fuzz Ali

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup toor dal (arhar/pigeon peas)
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tbsp oil (or ghee), plus extra for drizzling
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 6–8 curry leaves
• 1–2 green chillies, slit
• 2 tbsp grated coconut (fresh or desiccated)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp goda masala (Maharashtrian spice blend)
• 2 tbsp tamarind pulp
• 1 tbsp jaggery, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Rinse the toor dal well and place into a pressure cooker. Pour over 2-3 cups water, the turmeric and a drizzle of oil. Mix to combine, then pressure-cook until the legumes are cooked through and soft. Drain, then lightly mash. Set aside.
   
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil (or ghee) in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and allow them to sputter. Stir through the cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and green chillies. Cook, stirring briefly, until fragrant.
   
3. Stir through the coconut, ground coriander, chilli powder and goda masala. Cook, stirring for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the mashed toor dal to the spices with 2-3 cups water (adjusting the consistency to your liking). Stir through the tamarind pulp, jaggery and season to taste with salt. Simmer on low heat for 8-10 minutes, then remove from the heat.
   
4. Garnish the amti with the coriander leaves and serve.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.