Kokum Amti/Dal

I made this recipe upon the request of my very much pregnant SIL. She had been craving to eat this amti/dal for a couple of days now and finally expressed it to me today.

I jumped at this opportunity as it was the first time I was cooking amti with kokum besides satisfying her craving. Killing two birds with one stone, huh!

As a food blogger, I never miss an opportunity to try something new. Also, I truly love experimenting with different dal recipes. 

Although kokum is not altogether alien to me, I had never cooked with it. I have had Kokum Dal before and even enjoyed Kokum sherbet occasionally, but it never occurred to me to try it myself.

I began to read up about it and this is what I found. Garcinia Indica, a plant in the mangosteen family, more commonly known as kokum, is a fruit-bearing tree that has culinary, pharmaceutical, and industrial uses.

Wow, Google really amazes me with all this information!

While kokum is the star of this lentil-based Maharashtrian amti dal, there are many other ingredients that contribute to its taste.

First, we need to pressure cook the tur dal with salt and turmeric powder. Give it 3-4 whistles. The dal should mash well.

Once done, whisk it and keep it aside. Heat ghee and temper mustard seeds. Then add curry leaves, green chilies, asafoetida, and turmeric powder.

Saute for a minute and then add the cooked mashed dal. 

Add water to get the desired consistency. Then add Goda masala, fresh coconut, jaggery, and kokum.

Give it a stir, add salt and chopped cilantro and continue to cook it for 12-15 minutes on medium flame.

Keep stirring at regular intervals and the dal will thicken. Check the seasoning of this Maharashtrian amti dal and add anything if required. 

Take it off the flame, garnish with some more cilantro and serve with steamed rice. Always add a dollop of ghee over it as that elevates the taste of this kokum amti and rice when served together.

MY SIL had her fill (rhyme was a coincidence) of this Kokum Amti and I was left with a smile on my face. 

Kokum Amti/Dal is a popular Maharashtrian dish and is made more along the coastal line of the state. Kokum provides a sweet, sour, and tangy taste to this dal.

Jaggery and coconut along with goda masala give it the authentic feel of Maharashtrian cuisine. This is comfort food for us. 

This is one of those dal recipes that you will be eating on repeat!

Recipe 📖

Maharastrian Kokum Amti/Dal

Priya Lakshminarayan

Kokum Amti is a popular Maharashtrian dal, that is cooked with tur dal flavored with kokum, coconut and jaggery. This lentil dish is simple to make and tasty.

3.10 from 11 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course dal, Side Dish

Cuisine Maharashtrian

Servings 6 people

Calories 292.63 kcal

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups tur dal
• ▢ 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ Salt as required
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vegan ghee
• ▢ 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• ▢ 4-5 curry leaves
• ▢ 2-3 green chillies
• ▢ Pinch of asafoetida
• ▢ 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ 2 tablespoon goda masala
• ▢ 2 tablespoon fresh coconut
• ▢ 2 tablespoon jaggery powder
• ▢ 5-6 dried kokum
• ▢ Salt as required
• ▢ Cilantro for garnish
• ▢ Ghee for serving

Instructions 

• First we need to pressure cook tur dal with salt and turmeric powder. Give it 3-4 whistles. The dal should mash well. Once done, whisk it and keep it aside. Heat ghee and temper mustard seeds. Then add curry leaves, green chillies, asafoetida and turmeric powder. Saute for a minute and then add the mashed dal.
• Add water to get the desired consistency. Then add goda masala, fresh coconut, jaggery and kokum. Give it a stir, add salt and chopped cilantro and continue to cook it for 12-15 minutes on medium flame. Keep stirring at regular intervals and the dal will thicken. Check the seasoning and add anything if required.
• Take it off the flame, garnish with some more cilantro and serve with steamed rice. Always add a dollop of ghee over it as that elevates the taste of this kokum amti and rice when served together.

Notes

If kokum is unavailable, you can use tamarind. Soak it in warm water for 15-20 minutes, squeeze the pulp and use the juice in place of kokum.
Goda masala is a must for this recipe. Using garam masala would give it a different taste to it.
Both these ingredients are easily available in the Indian market.

Nutrition

Calories: 292.63kcal | Carbohydrates: 45.89g | Protein: 17.2g | Fat: 4.58g | Saturated Fat: 2.77g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.49g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.99g | Cholesterol: 6.4mg | Sodium: 54.72mg | Potassium: 642.89mg | Fiber: 21.23g | Sugar: 6.5g | Vitamin A: 50.56IU | Vitamin C: 18.24mg | Calcium: 43.41mg | Iron: 5.25mg

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