Chincha Gulachi Amti | Maharashtrian Amti Recipe | Sweet & Sour Lentil Curry
Chincha Gulachi Amti translates to tamarind & jaggery lentil curry. This is a traditional Maharashtrian dal recipe made all over Maharashtra with slight variations depending from region to region. This is a vegan, protein-rich, no onion-garlic, beginner-friendly & nutritious lentil curry made using turdal also called arhar dal or pigeeon peas.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Tur Dal / Arhar Dal / Split Pigeon Peas
- 3 tablespoons Tamarind Pulp
- 2 tablespoons Jaggery (Gul)
- 2 teaspoon Goda Masala
- 1.5 teaspoons Red Chilli Powder
- 1/4th teaspoon Hing (Asafoetida)
- 1/4th teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1/4th teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds (Methi Seeds)
- 5-6 Curry Leaves
- 1 tablespoon Freshly Scrapped Coconut
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- Water, as required
Instructions
- Rinse the turdal / pigeon / arhar dal well with sufficient water 3-4 times till the water runs almost clear.
- Now add 2 cups of water to the washed dal and pressure cook till 6-7 whistles on medium flame.
- Once the dal is ready. Add 1 cup of water and mash the dal using the backside of the ladle or a whisk to a smooth consistency. Normally the consistency of amti is quite runny but again it depends of personal preference. Hence whishk accordingly.
- In a kadai or saucepan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and 1/4th teaspoon of fenugreek seeds.
- Add thing (asafoetida) and curry leaves.
- Add the cooked dal. Add one cup of water.
- Let's add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and goda masala. (Goda masala is easily available at any Indian grocery store) Incase of goda masala you can add either garam masala or a tablespoon of coriander-cumin powder.
- Add chincha-gul ( jaggery & tamarind pulp).
- Add salt to taste and let the amti boil for 6-8 minutes on medium flame. The more the amti boils the more flavourful it gets.
- Lastly, add some freshly scrapped coconut and coriander leaves.
- Let the dal again simmer on high flame for 2-3 minutes.
- Sweet & sour chincagulach amti is ready.
- Serve it with chapati or hot steamed rice.
Video
Notes
Instead of Goda Masala you can add garam masala or coriander-cumin powder. Instead of tamarind, you can add lemon juice or kokam. You can substitute jaggery with brown sugar or white sugar. Instead of pigeon / tur dal, you can also use yellow moong dal (yellow lentils) or red lentils (masoor dal)
