आमटी/ತೊಗರೆ ಬೇಳೆ ಸಾರು/Amti or Aamati

'Amti' (aa-ma-ti) - is curry made up of pigeon peas which is a legume.This is know as 'Toor Daal' in Marathi.
Amti is must in every Maharashtrian family for daily lunch and dinner.This is mostly eaten with rice but goes well with other breads too.This is an authentic Maharashtrian curry.The thing that makes this curry to be unique in taste is 'Godaa Masala'.Goda Masala is daily and all purpose masala that is used in almost every house of Maharashtra and it is purely home made.It tastes totally different from 'Garam Masala' that we get in market but at times Garam Masala can be used as substitute for Goda Maasala.

Please Note : Godaa Masala and 'Kaanda- Lasun Masala' are two different things.Goda masala never contains Onion and Garlic.

Now,let us learn how to make 'Amti'

                  

  The following measurement of ingredients makes 3 to 4 bowls of Amti

Ingrredients :

1. Pigeon peas(Toor Dal) - 1/2 Cup
2. Goda Masala - 1 Tb Spoon (In case you do not have, you can definitely use Garam masala you get in market)
3. Fenugreek Seeds(Methi Seeds) - 1 Tea Spoon
4. Cummin Seeds and Mustard Seeds  1/2 Teaspoon each
5. Hing(Asafoetida ) and Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tea spoon each
6. Curry leaves - 4 to 5 (I could not add them as I did not have that time)
7. Dry RedChilli -2 (Optional)
8. Red chilli Powder - 1/2 Tea spoon
9. Jaggery - around a dice of 1 inch
10. Tamarind paste or whole without seeds - 1 Tea Spoon
11. Salt to Taste
12. Fresh grated coconut and Coriander leaves - to garnish (You can also use dry coconut flakes)

Steps :

• Pressure cook the daal such that it is boiled finely and is not raw or half cooked.
• Now in a Pan, heat the oil on medium heat for Tadka.
• To that add Mustard Seeds and Cumins Seeds and Methi Seeds..Once they crackle,lower the heat and add Hing and Turmeric powder,Red Chilli powder,Dry REd Chillies, Curry leaves.
• To this Tadka, slowly add pressure cooked Toor Daal.Add Goda Masala,salt, jaggery and Tamarind.
• Add water depnding upon how much consistency you want.Amti is not supposed to be as thick as dal fry.So add water accordingly and let it boil for some time.At this time add Coconut and Coriander leaves.
• If you think that it is getting too thick, add water accordingly.
• Amti is ready to be served.

TIPS:

• Amti gets thickened after its cooled down.So before serving, you can little water and reheat it.
• Instead of Tamarind, you can use Kokam (Also known as Aamsul) or Tomato for sour taste.
• Make sure that Fenugreek Seeds are not raw as this raw is the great spoiler.But it sould not be over fried either.Take care while preparing Tadka.