Amti bhaat (Maharashtrian dal with rice)

Name: Amti bhaat (Maharashtrian dal with rice)
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 150 g toor dal; ≈ 500 ml water, for the dal; 3 ml turmeric; 2 tbsp refined oil; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 1 tsp cumin, seeds; 1 ml hing (asafoetida); 1 sprig curry leaves; 2 green chillies, slit; 3 ml red chilli powder; 2 tsp goda masala; 4 pieces kokum, rinsed; 1 ½ tbsp jaggery, grated; ≈ 400 ml water, to thin the amti; salt, to taste; 2 tbsp grated coconut (optional); 3 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped; 300 g rice, kolam or sona masoori; ≈ 600 ml water, for the rice; 1 ½ tbsp ghee, to serve (optional)

Maharashtra's everyday dal: toor dal with a phodni of mustard seeds and curry leaves, goda masala, kokum for sourness and jaggery for sweetness, poured over hot rice with a spoon of ghee. It has no onion or garlic, so a Jain kitchen can make it just as it is. Without the spices it is varan, plain dal with ghee, and varan bhaat is the comfort meal.

45 minTime
20 minHands-on
4Portions
14 gprotein per portion
540kcal per portion

VeganContains: Mustard, Gluten, Sesame

Ingredients for 4 portions

150 gToor dal
≈ 500 mlWater, for the dal
3 mlTurmeric
2 tbspRefined oil
1 tspMustard seeds
1 tspCumin, seeds
1 mlHing (asafoetida)
1 sprigCurry leaves
2Green chillies, slit
3 mlRed chilli powder
2 tspGoda masala
4 piecesKokum, rinsed
1 ½ tbspJaggery, grated
≈ 400 mlWater, to thin the amti
to tasteSalt
2 tbspGrated coconut (optional)
3 tbspCoriander leaves, chopped

On the side

300 gRice, kolam or sona masoori
≈ 600 mlWater, for the rice
1 ½ tbspGhee, to serve (optional)

Method

Wash the toor dal and the rice separately, two or three times each. Put the dal in one cooker container with the water for the dal and the turmeric, and the rice in another with the water for the rice. Stack them in the pressure cooker with a little water in the bottom.
Pressure-cook on medium heat for 3 whistles, about 12 minutes, and let the pressure drop by itself.
Meanwhile, rinse the kokum and slit the green chillies lengthwise.
Towards the end, make the phodni: heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the cumin seeds, hing, curry leaves and green chillies, fry for a few seconds and take the pan off the heat.
Take out the dal and whisk it smooth with a whisk or the back of a ladle.
Pour the dal and the water to thin it into the phodni. Add the red chilli powder, goda masala, kokum, jaggery and salt, stir and bring to a boil.
Simmer on low heat for 7 minutes, until the jaggery has melted and the flavours come together. The amti should be pourable, not thick.
Stir in the grated coconut and coriander leaves.
Serve the amti hot over the rice, with a spoon of ghee on the rice.

Amti bhaat (Maharashtrian dal with rice)

Ingredients for 4 portions

On the side

Method

More recipes