maharashtrarecipe

Katachi Amti

Katachi Amti is a type of seasoned dal prepared by using leftover water from boiled Chana Dal when making Puran. Makes a great accompaniment for Puran Poli!

Ingredients

  1. Boiled chana dal water (Kat) 2 cup
  2. Garlic 2-3 pods
  3. Ginger 1/2 inch
  4. Onion small
  5. Dry roasted coconut 2 tbsp
  6. Fresh Coriander 1/4 cup
  7. Tomato small roasted
  8. Oil 2 Tbsp
  9. Coriander powder 1 tsp
  10. Red chilli powder 1 tsp
  11. Garam masala 1 tsp
  12. Asafoetida / Hing 1/4 tsp
  13. Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
  14. Salt to taste
  15. Curry leaves 3-4

Method

  1. Take 1 tsp oil in a pan and sauté onion, garlic, ginger till onions turn brownish.
  2. Add coconut in the pan and roast it and then add fresh coriander leaves and stir.
  3. Add tomato and stir.
  4. Take out the sautéed mixture in mixer jar and blend it.
  5. Take remaining oil in the pan, add curry leaves and the blended sautéed mix and stir for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, hing/asafoetida and mix it.
  7. Add chana dal water I.e. Kat( कट).
  8. Add 1 tbsp of chana dal paste and salt.
  9. Add water for the required consistency. And let it to boil for 3-4 minutes.
  10. Katachi amti is ready garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Puran Poli or rice.

Variations

  1. You can also use it in soups, curry, kneading dough.
  2. This katachi amti can be made little tangy and sweet by adding tamarind and jaggery.
  3. Amti can be made more spicy by adding green chilly while roasting onions or increasing the quantity of red chilly powder.

Video Link given below

Puran poli

Puran poli is the Indian maharshtrian food and it is served with a dollop of ghee.

Ingredients

A. For Puran/stuffing

  1. 1 cup chana dal
  2. 1 cup sugar or 1 cup jaggery or 1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 cup jaggery or the total amount of sweetener should be 1 cup.
  3. 1tsp cardamom powder
  4. 1/2 tsp salt
  5. 1/2 tsp puran poli
  6. 1 tsp dry ginger powder or saunth

B. For dough

  1. 4 cup whole wheat flour
  2. 2cups +1/2 tbsp water
  3. 1 tsp salt
  4. Oil 2-3 tbsp

Making Puran (in Instant pot)

  1. Take 2 cups of water in IP liner. Place steamer rack or trivet in it.
  2. Take 1 cup chana dal and 2 cups of water in a container and place it on the rack/trivet in IP. Some people put a pinch of turmeric in dal right now.
  3. Tip: I used another container on top of it to cook rice.
  4. Cover the lid, put the knob on the sealing mode.
  5. Manual/ pressure cook for 8 minutes. [Alternatively, you can do this process in normal pressure cooker also for 3-4 whistles.]
  6. Tip: Let us knead the dough till the dal is getting cooked
  7. Wait for NPR (i.e. natural pressure release) once IP timer is complete.
  8. Open lid and check Chana dal. You should be able to mash Chana dal by pressing between fingers. If it is still little hard, cook for few more minutes.
  9. Take out all the water of dal, leave it aside. We will use this water for Katachi Amti. You can also use it in soups, curry, kneading dough.
  10. Take a pan and put it on medium heat. Put dal in the pan, little ghee and then mash this dal with the potato masher. You can also use immersion blender or strain the cooked dal through the strainer before putting in pan.
  11. Add sugar + jaggery to mashed dal and mix well. Stir the mixture till you can smell the aroma. Switch off the stove.
  12. Tip: Sometimes the mixture gets dry. Add 1-2 tsp of dal water while stirring to keep moist.
  13. Add cardamom powder, salt (optional), nutmeg, ginger powder or saunth. Mix it well. Puran is ready. Let it cool down to room temperature.

Preparing dough

  1. Ratio of wheat flour and water should be 2:1 for regular poli/roti. I used extra 1 tsp of water to make the dough extra soft. A pinch of salt enhances taste and oil helps retain moisture and keep the Puran Poli very soft.
  2. Knead the dough by hand or your food processor or stand mixer. Make sure to knead the dough till it becomes very soft and stretchy.
  3. Tip: Sometimes, wheat flour is little coarse and dough does not become stretchy. Add some maida or all purpose flour while kneading to get soft n stretchy dough.
  4. Let the dough sit while we prepare Puran.

Final step – Puran Poli

  1. Take the dough ball and make it into a bowl shape. Put ball of Puran in the dough bowl and close it from all side.
  2. Flatten it a little bit with hand and then put the closed side facing the board. Take the flour and roll the Puran Poli. Turn using hand every now and then. You don’t need to apply pressure, it will spread easily.
  3. This is a difficult step don’t worry if you face any problem, practice will make it perfect.
  4. Put the closed side of Puran Poli facing the medium hot griddle/tawa.
  5. Turn the poli only 2 times.
  6. Puran Poli is now ready to eat. Serve it with dollop of ghee.

Video Recipe

Pithala in Instant Pot

Jhunka or Zunka is a vegetarian traditional Indian dish prepared in Maharashtra ,Goa and north Karnataka. It is essentially a chickpea flour porridge. It is also known by the name of pithla or pithle. It’s ingredients are gram flour (besan) , mixed with water to form a semi-solid paste. It is sautéed in oil with any other assorted ingredients like green chillies, red chilly powder, turmeric, salt, fried onions, mustard seeds, ginger-garlic, cumin seeds, coriander leaves and served with roti or more traditionally with bhakri jolada rotti. The dish is also referred to as junka Bhakar or pithla bhakri.

Jhunka with bhakar is considered quintessential peasant fare of Maharashtra . It is accompanied by kharda or thecha. In recent times, pithla bhakri has become inseparable part of treks to mountain forts such as Sinhagad.

Ingredients

  1. Oil 1 Tbsp (I have used coconut oil)
  2. Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
  3. Cumin seeds 1/4 tsp
  4. Asafoetida 1/4 tsp
  5. Fenugreek seeds 1/4 tsp
  6. Curry leaves 3-4
  7. Green chillies 3-4
  8. Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
  9. Ginger-Garlic paste 1 tbsp
  10. Tomato chopped 1
  11. Chickpea flour (besan) 1 cup
  12. Onion chopped medium sized
  13. Curd /yoghurt 1/2 cup (can be skipped , you can use water instead)
  14. water 3 cups
  15. Coriander 1/4 cup

Procedure

  1. Start in Instant pot on SAUTE mode and add the oil.
  2. Till the pot and oil are getting hot add curd with chickpea (besan) flour and make a lump free slurry. NOTE :- For making it lump free add water little by little.
  3. Now the oil is hot , add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida.
  4. As soon as the seeds splutters add onion and pinch of salt to cook onions faster. ( spread onions in base of pot so that they will cook faster)
  5. After 2-3 minutes add green chillies , curry leaves and ginger-garlic paste.
  6. Fry for 1 minute and then add tomatoes and mix it.
  7. Add turmeric powder , coriander and salt and mix it.
  8. Add chickpea flour and curd slurry and remaining water in the pot and mix it thoroughly.
  9. STOP the saute mode by pressing cancel or keep warm button
  10. Close the lid and set the knob or whistle on SEALING .
  11. Press SOUP button and set the timer for 2 minutes on normal mode.
  12. In almost 5-7 minutes timer was done , wait for more 5 minutes to open the lid (Natural Pressure Release NPR ) .
  13. Piping hot chickpea porridge or Pithla is ready serve it with jowl flour, rice flour or any millet flour flat bread with green chilly thecha on the side with raw onion and lemon .

Pithala on stove top

  1. To make Pithla on stove top follow all the way to the 8th point.
  2. cover the lid , lower the flame to low to medium heat and let it to cook for 4-5 minutes. (Mix in between)
  3. When the chickpea slurry become the thick gelatinous consistency then at that time the pithala is ready to serve.
Pithala (Chickpea Porridge)