Puranpoli and katachi Amti go hand in hand. For the first time, I tried this Katachi Amti at my friend’s(Srishti) place. Thanks to Asavari for adding this to my recipe list. Since I wanted to complement my puranpolis , I made this. The combination of tangy syrup with sweet polis bring an altogether different experience for your taste-buds.

Today I love Katachi Amti as much as Puranpoli. Although I have made it with tamarind paste ,you may use raw mango too for the sourness. As the name suggests, “kat” means dal and “amti” means liquid , it is nothing but the strained water of dal ,spiced up to give this dish.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Strained water leftover after straining dal for puranpoli – 2 cups
2. Jaggery (gur) – as desired

Freshly ground spices :
1. Desiccated coconut powder (nariyal kas) – 3 tbsp
2. Sesame seeds (kale til) – 1 tsp
3. Cumin seeds (jeera) – 1 tsp
Other spices:
1. Salt – 1 tsp or to taste
2. Tamarind paste (imli ka ras ya guda)- 1 and ¹⁄₂ tbsp
3. Water – ¹⁄₄ cup
4. Red Chilly pepper (lal mirch) – ¹⁄₂ tsp
5. Kashmiri red pepper – ¹⁄₂ tsp (for extra color)
6. Goda masala (special Maharashtrian masala) – ¹⁄₂ tsp
7. Bay leaf (tej patta) -1
8. Cloves (laung /lavang) – 2
9. Curry leaves (meetha neem /kadhi patta) – 4 to 5
10. Cinnamon stick (dalchini) – ¹⁄₂ inch
11. Cooking oil – 1 tsp

METHOD:
| Preparation time : 5 mins | Cooking time : 5 mins | Makes 2 to 3 bowls |

1. Heat a wok on medium heat. Add coconut, sesame seeds and cumin seeds in it. Dry roast them until light brown.
   

2. For this recipe you may use the leftover dal water or you may boil 2 tbsp dal in 2 cups water and then mash the dal in the water itself. It is also advised to use the same wok for making amti which was used to make the puran. The idea behind this is self-cleaning ,time saving and taste preservation. 😉 .
   

3. When the mixture turns slightly brown, turn off the heat. Let it cool to room temperature and then coarsely ground it in blender or mixer.
   

4. In the meanwhile, add dal water to the puran’s wok. Let it come to a boil.

5. Now in another pan , prepare the seasoning (tadka). For this add oil to it. When it is hot, add the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cloves to it. Let them cook for 30-45 secs.
   

6. Now add the curry leaves,tamarind paste and little water. Lower the heat to avoid sputtering.
   

7. Also add the red chilly powder and salt to taste. Immediately transfer the tadka in the boiling dal water.

1. Now add jaggery if needed and adjust the spice level. Add the Goda masala ,if you have it.[ I borrowed this masala from one of my friend. 😉 ]
   

2. Add the ground spices and stir the mixture, let it come to a boil again and then turn off the heat when it reaches the desired consistency. It is usually thinner than a dal .

Serve it hot or cold with Puran-poli or rice and enjoy the New Year with a burst of Flavors !! 😛

Till then keep cooking ….
🙂