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Best Chinch Gulaachi aamti (Tamarind Jaggery Daal)

Alka wahini from Kolhapur (in India), makes the very best chinch (tamarind) gulaachi (gul means jaggery) aamti (like daal). As a kid I remember asking her to make this everytime I visited her. I love this aamti (kind of daal). I had the best times with her, I was in KG when she married my cousin brother Anil Dada (dada means big bro in marathi language). Since then, I love everything she cooks. I used to eat roasted peanuts with jaggery as a snack at her place. She used to set yoghurt in little stainless steel bowls. Good ol’ days.

Here is her recipe for this daal. She didnt give any proportion really, but just give it a shot a couple of times, and you will get it right.

Ingredients:
1 bowl Tuar daal (yellow colored pulses found in Indian stores)
Oil,
asafoetida (hing)
mustard seeds (raai)
cumin whole (jeera)
curry leaves (kadipatta)
dried red chilli peppers
turmeric (haldi)
red chilli powder (mirchi)
1 sp goda masala (a blend of spices)
jaggery (gud/guul)
tamarind concentrate (chinch)
salt
cilantro/ fresh corriander (dhania)

First pressure cook the daal with water. In a little pan, heat the 2-3 tbsp oil. Put the hing, raai, jeera, dried red peppers and kadipatta. Then add to this, haldi, mirchi, goda masala, gud and the tamarind concentrate. Put this in the daal. Add salt as per taste and garnish with cilantro.

Yumm Yumm, I shall make this tomorrow and then put up a picture.

July 27th, 2006