Ambti/ आंम्बटी (A sweet and sour soup of split black gram pulse)

Ambti

Ambati and poran poli are most popular and liked combination in Maharashtra, India. No festival in Maharashtra is complete if poran poli and ambti are not made. Ambti is sour and sweet soup made from chana dal. Some people prefer ambti which is sweet in taste rather than sourish sweet. Why waste time in more description you will come to know all about ambti once you make it and devour it with hot Poran Poli ( http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/poran-poli-sweet-stuffed-shallow-fried.html )

Preparation Time: 10 min.

Cooking Time: 30-40 min.

Servings: 5-6 large servings

Ingredients Required for Ambti:

• 75 gm. Chana dal

• 4-5 Inch piece of fresh or dry coconut

• 8-10 cloves of garlic

• 1 medium size onion

• 1 inch piece of ginger

• 1/4 Tea spoon Cumin seeds

• 1/4Tea spoon Mustard seeds

• 5-6Kadi patta (curry leaves)

Spices for Ambti

• 1/4Tea spoon Turmeric Powder

• 2 Tea spoon Amchur (Dry mango powder)

• 2 Whole Red chilies

• Small pinch Asafetida

• Salt to taste

• 10gm. Jaggery (approximately 2 inches piece)

• 2-3 Sprigs of fresh Coriander leaves

• 1/Tea spoon Red chili Powder

• 1Tea spoon Ghee (Clarified Butter)

• 300 ml. Water

Ingredients for Seasoning:

• 1/4Tea spoon Cumin seeds

• 1/4Tea spoon Mustard seeds

• 4-5 Kadi patta

• 1-2 Whole Red chilies

• 1/2Tea spoon Red chili powder

• 1 Pinch Asafetida

• 1Tea spoon Ghee

Directions for Preparing Ambti:

• Peel and cut onion.

Onions

• Peel and cut garlic.

Garlic

• Grate the coconut and ginger.

Grated Coconut

• Clean and wash chana dal.

• Put the washed chana dal in cooker along with 300 ml water.

• Add salt, Turmeric powder close the lid and keep the cooker on high flame.

• When the pressure is built in the cooker lower the flame and cook for 10-15min.

• After 15min. take the cooker off the gas and allow it to cool.

• While the chana dal is cooking take a1/2 teaspoon ghee in a wok and keep it on high flame on gas.

• When the ghee is hot add 1/4teaspoon mustard seeds let them splutter.

• Add 1/4tea spoon cumin seeds and let them splutter.

Cumin and Mustard seeds spluttering in hot oil

• Add 5-6 kadi patta and when they change the color add cut onion and cook for 2-3 min.

Kadi patta (curry leaves) added to cumin and mustard seeds in hot oil

Kadi patta, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and red chili cooked and ready for onions, garlic  and ginger to be added

• Add garlic, ginger and and onions and cook till onions become brownish pink.

Onions added to the spices

• Add grated coconut and cook till whole mixture becomes pinkish brown.

Coconut added to the spices

• Cool the whole mixture and when it becomes cold grind it to paste by adding little amount of water.

coconut and spices mixture ready to be made to paste

Paste of cooked coconut and spices

• Remove the contents of cooker and mash the cooked dal.

Broth of Chana dal

• Take 1/2tea spoon ghee in wok.

Ghee in the wok

• Keep the wok with ghee on high flame and when ghee is hot add asafetida and the paste (of onion, garlic, ginger, coconut) turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt.

Asefetida and paste of coconut and spices in the ghee

Turmeric powder, red chili powder salt added to the paste in wok

• Cook for 30 sec. and then add the chana dal broth (cooked dal with all liquid) to the wok.

Chana dal broth added to the paste and spices mixture in the wok

• Add amchur, jaggery and cook for 5 min with regular stirring.

• Add water to make ambti of the thickness you want.

• Add salt if required.

• Take out ambti in a serving bowl.

Direction for Seasoning of Ambti:

• Heat one tea spoon of ghee in a small pan

• When ghee becomes hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, 5-6 kadi patta,1-2 whole red chili, 1pinch asafetida, 1/2tea spoon red chili powder and immediately pour the mixture on the ambti in the serving bowl.

Ambti

• Sweet and sour hot Ambti is ready to be taken with Poran Poli, and rice.

Ambti with Poran Poli

Tips:

• For making Ambti chana dal is not required to be boiled if you are making it with Poran Poli.

• The water which is left after sieving the boiled chana dal for poran of poran poli is used for Ambti.

• Do not try to replace ghee with cooking oil atleast in seasoning, because kadi patta gives best taste and flavor in ghee only.

Suggested Variations:

• Many people do not take onion and garlic, they can increase the quantity of coconut.

• Amchur powder can be replaced by Tamarind pulp. http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/sweet-tamarind-chutney.html

• In the season of mango raw mango pulp can be used instead of tamarind pulp or amchur.

• Some people prefer ambti completely sweet, without any amchur/tamarin/raw mango pulp.

• If you or your family do not like asafetida then you can avoid it .