Firstly, this is a very BASIC recipe for Amti and one that I’ve used for about 29 years. In the part of India it comes from it can contain dozens of spices and aromatics but I still use the first recipe I ever tried, although at times I add more bits and pieces as the mood takes me. Sometimes I make it spicier, thicker, with more Rice or more Coconut. You can vary it any way you please once you get the basic recipe down. The FRESH Coriander added just as you serve it adds a very nice fresh pungency to the soup, but only if you like Coriander. (Wondering what to do with the leftover stalks? Chop them up and add them to the soup at the same time as the Rice)
Serves 4 to 6 in about 1 hour (or overnight is better)
- 180g Red Lentils - washed VERY thoroughly until water runs clean.
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (or Ghee)
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds (Yellow or Black - whatever you can get)
- 2 Green or Red Chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
- 2 large Cloves of Garlic, peeled and grated or crushed and finely chopped.
- 2 tablespoons Desiccated Coconut
- 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
- 180g of Cooked Basmati or Long Grain Rice (about 50g uncooked)
- Some Chopped Fresh Coriander Leaves for garnish
Step by Step.
Put Lentils into a large pot with the Turmeric, Salt and 3 pints of water. Bring to the boil, partly
cover and simmer for about 1hr and Lentils are very soft and falling apart. Skim off any ‘foam’ that
forms on top. (You can cook Lentils for less time and blitz with a stick blender, just reduce the
water a bit. You want to end with about 2 ½ pints of soup, no less than 2 pints. When Lentils are
cooked, turn off the heat and leave covered in pot.
In another small pot, heat the oil until quite hot then add the Mustard Seeds and quickly stir until
they start to pop. You need them to pop as this releases the flavours. As soon as they start to pop,
Add this mixture to the Lentils along with the cooked Rice and Sugar and stir through. Turn on the heat and simmer for a few minutes until soup is very hot again. You might want to taste the soup and make sure it’s salty enough for you. You can serve this soup right away but it tastes infinitely better if you leave it in the fridge for 24hrs to let all the flavours develop.
Serve in bowls sprinkled with some chopped Coriander Leaves.
Variations.
– Add finely chopped Ginger at the Garlic stage.
– Add chopped Tomatoes with the Rice for more colour and texture.
– Add Tamarind paste for extra sourness.
– Add Garam Masala at the end of cooking for a deeper spice flavour.
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