RAG Demo

Tag: Everyday

  • Maharashtrian Amti

    Amti is the everyday dal of Maharashtra, distinguished from plain varan by its sweet, sour and spicy balance. Toor dal is cooked soft, then simmered with goda masala, tamarind or kokum and a little jaggery. It is the dal that fills Maharashtrian thalis, eaten with rice, chapati or bhakri. It is a daily essential.

    The flavour is tangy and gently sweet, with warmth from goda masala and red chilli, and aroma from a tempering of mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves and asafoetida. Grated coconut and coriander are often added at the end. The consistency is thinner than North Indian dals, perfect for mixing into rice.

    Variations are endless: katachi amti uses the drained water from puran poli dal, while Kolhapuri versions add more chilli. Each household has its own preferred proportions of sweet and sour. Konkani homes add coconut and kokum, while Desh homes rely on goda masala and tamarind, and every cook believes theirs is the correct one.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegan
    CourseMain course
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time35 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientstoor dal / tamarind / jaggery / goda masala

    Ingredients

    For the dal

    • 3/4 cup toor dal, washed
    • 2 1/2 cups water
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric

    For the amti

    • 2 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • A pinch of asafoetida
    • 10 curry leaves
    • 2 green chillies, slit
    • 1 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1 1/2 tsp goda masala
    • 1 tbsp tamarind pulp
    • 1 1/2 tbsp grated jaggery
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 cup water
    • 2 tbsp grated fresh coconut
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the toor dal with water and turmeric for 3-4 whistles until completely soft. Whisk until smooth.
    2. Heat oil in a pan on medium. Crackle mustard seeds, add cumin, asafoetida, curry leaves and green chillies and cook for 20 seconds.
    3. Add red chilli powder and goda masala and stir for 10 seconds without burning.
    4. Pour in the whisked dal and the water. Add tamarind pulp, jaggery and salt.
    5. Bring to a boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavours meld and it reaches a pourable consistency.
    6. Add coconut and coriander and simmer for 1 minute more. Taste and adjust sweet-sour balance.

    Tips

    • Goda masala is essential; garam masala gives a different, more North Indian flavour.
    • Kokum can replace tamarind; add 3-4 petals and remove before serving.
    • The amti thickens on standing; thin with hot water when reheating.

    Serve with

    Steamed rice with ghee, papad and a dry vegetable.

  • Kanda Poha

    Kanda poha is the everyday breakfast of Maharashtra and the dish served to guests in the traditional bride-viewing visit, so much so that the visit itself is jokingly called kanda-pohe. It takes fifteen minutes, uses pantry staples and appears on breakfast plates from Nagpur to Kolhapur. In Vidarbha it is also eaten as an evening snack from roadside stalls.

    The flattened rice is rinsed, not soaked, so it softens while keeping a light, fluffy bite. Onions are cooked only until translucent so they keep a little sweetness and crunch, and turmeric gives the familiar yellow colour. Peanuts add crunch, while lemon, sugar and fresh coconut balance the dish. Each grain stays separate and soft.

    Poha is eaten hot, topped with sev, chopped coriander and a lemon wedge, with a cup of tea. Some families add potato cubes, called batata poha, or green peas in winter. In Indore, a neighbouring city across the border, poha is steamed and topped with jeeravan masala and sev, and in Nagpur it comes with spicy tarri.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegan
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time10 minutes
    Total time20 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsthick poha / onion / peanuts / curry leaves

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups (150 g) thick poha
    • 2 tbsp oil
    • 2 tbsp raw peanuts
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • A pinch of asafoetida
    • 10 curry leaves
    • 2 green chillies, chopped
    • 2 medium onions, chopped
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 2 tbsp grated fresh coconut
    • Nylon sev to garnish (optional)

    Method

    1. Put the poha in a colander and rinse under running water for 15-20 seconds, tossing with your fingers, until just softened. Drain well and leave for 5 minutes.
    2. Sprinkle sugar and salt over the damp poha and toss gently with your fingers to loosen any clumps.
    3. Heat oil in a kadhai on medium. Fry the peanuts for 2 minutes until golden and remove them.
    4. In the same oil, crackle mustard seeds, then add cumin, asafoetida, curry leaves and green chillies for 20 seconds.
    5. Add onions and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium until soft and translucent but not brown. Stir in turmeric.
    6. Add the poha and fried peanuts and toss gently until evenly yellow. Cover and cook on low for 2 minutes so it steams.
    7. Turn off the heat, add lemon juice and coriander and toss. Serve topped with coconut and sev.

    Tips

    • Do not soak poha in a bowl of water; rinsing is enough. Soaked poha turns mushy.
    • Use thick (jada) poha; thin poha is meant for chivda.
    • Add turmeric after the onions soften, not with the hot oil, so it does not burn.

    Serve with

    Hot tea, with sev and a lemon wedge on top.