Kulith Amti

Kulith Amti is a robust Maharashtrian preparation of horse gram cooked into a loose, earthy curry. This version uses kanda lasun masala as its main flavour base, with goda masala added towards the end for aroma. Tamarind and jaggery provide the familiar sweet-sour balance, but neither should dominate. The horse gram itself should remain the loudest flavour in the bowl.

Sprouting the kulith before cooking gives the recipe a long lead time, but very little of it involves actual work. Once cooked, both the horse gram and its deeply flavoured cooking liquor are used, with a small portion of the gram mashed back into the pot to naturally give the amti some body.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried horse gram (kulith)

• 2½ tbsp groundnut oil

• ½ tsp mustard seeds

• ½ tsp cumin seeds

• ¼ tsp asafoetida

• 8–10 curry leaves

• 1 medium onion, about 100–120 g, finely chopped

• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

• 2 tbsp kanda lasun masala

• ½ tsp turmeric powder

• ½–1 tsp red chilli powder, depending on the heat of your kanda lasun masala

• 1 tsp goda masala

• ½ tsp roasted cumin powder

• 1½–2 tsp tamarind pulp

• 1–2 tsp jaggery

• Salt, to taste

• 2–2½ cups water, or as required

• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

• 2 tbsp freshly grated coconut, optional

• Lime juice, only if required at the end

Method

Soak and sprout the kulith
Wash the horse gram thoroughly and soak it in plenty of water for 12 hours.
Drain completely, cover and leave in a warm place for approximately 24 hours, or until the horse gram begins to sprout.

Cook the horse gram
Transfer the sprouted kulith to a pot and add just enough fresh water to cook it.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook until the horse gram is tender.
Strain, but do not discard the cooking liquid. Reserve the cooked kulith and its cooking liquor separately.

Build the masala
Heat the groundnut oil in a heavy kadai or saucepan.
Add the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle. Add the cumin seeds, followed by the asafoetida and curry leaves.
Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat for 7–10 minutes, until properly golden rather than merely translucent.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for another minute, until the raw aroma disappears.

Fry the kanda lasun masala
Reduce the heat.
Add the turmeric, red chilli powder and kanda lasun masala. Sprinkle in 2–3 tbsp water to prevent the spices from catching.
Fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the masala darkens slightly and smells properly roasted.

Add the kulith
Add the cooked horse gram and mix thoroughly with the masala.
Fry for 3–4 minutes, allowing the kulith to pick up the flavours from the pan.
Remove roughly ½ cup of the horse gram and mash it coarsely with the back of a spoon or a potato masher. Don't turn it into a puree.
Return the mashed kulith to the pan. This gives the amti body while leaving most of the horse gram intact.

Make the amti
Add the reserved horse gram cooking liquid, followed by enough hot water to bring the total amount of liquid to approximately 3 cups.
Bring to a boil.
Add the tamarind pulp, jaggery and salt. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes.
The mashed horse gram will gradually thicken the gravy. Add a little hot water during cooking if the amti becomes thicker than you want.

Add the finishing spices
During the final 5 minutes, add the goda masala and roasted cumin powder.
Keeping these until the end preserves more of their aromatic character.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. The amti should taste earthy and savoury first, followed by chilli, with tamarind and jaggery providing a quieter sweet-sour background. It should not taste noticeably sweet.
If it needs additional acidity, add a small squeeze of lime.

Finish and serve
Stir through the chopped coriander and, if using, freshly grated coconut.
For serving with steamed rice and ghee, keep the amti relatively loose and soupy.
For jowar or bajra bhakri, simmer uncovered for another 5–10 minutes to produce a thicker consistency. Serve with raw onion and a dry vegetable alongside.