Toor dal cooked with Maharashtra's signature goda masala — a complex dark spice blend of stone flower, dried coconut and specific warm spices that has no equivalent in any other regional cuisine. The goda masala transforms an ordinary toor dal into something distinctly Maharashtrian.
Ingredients
1 cup toor dal
3 cups water, 1/2 tsp turmeric
For the goda masala (make fresh or use ready-made):
1 tbsp dried coconut (kopra) — dry roasted until golden
1 tsp coriander seeds — dry roasted
1/2 tsp cumin seeds — dry roasted
4 dried red chilli — dry roasted
4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 2 green cardamom
1/4 tsp stone flower (dagad phool)
1/2 tsp sesame seeds — dry roasted
For the dal:
2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds
10 curry leaves, 1/4 tsp asafoetida
1 onion — finely chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tomatoes — finely chopped
salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp tamarind paste
coriander leaves
Method
Make fresh goda masala: Grind all the masala ingredients together to a coarse, dark powder. Alternatively use 1.5 to 2 tsp ready-made goda masala. Fresh-made produces a much more complex flavour.
Cook the toor dal: Pressure cook with 3 cups water and turmeric for 4 to 5 whistles. Mash smooth.
Heat oil: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds — pop. Add curry leaves and asafoetida.
Cook onion: Add finely chopped onion. Cook 8 to 10 minutes until golden.
Add ginger and tomatoes: Add ginger paste — stir 1 minute. Add chopped tomatoes — cook 5 minutes until soft.
Add the goda masala: Add 1.5 to 2 tsp of the ground goda masala. Stir on low heat for 2 minutes. The masala smells intensely of stone flower and dried coconut — different from any other spice blend.
Add the cooked dal: Pour in the cooked toor dal. Stir well.
Add tamarind, sugar and salt: Add tamarind paste, sugar and salt. Simmer 5 minutes.
Adjust consistency: The Maharashtrian amti should be medium-thin with a slight sweet-sour-spiced balance.
Serve: Garnish with coriander. Serve with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.
Note: Goda Masala is the defining spice blend of Maharashtrian Brahmin and Marathi cooking — the stone flower (dagad phool, a dried lichen) that gives goda masala its unique character has no substitute and is the spice that makes the blend unmistakably Maharashtrian. Ready-made goda masala is sold in Maharashtra but home-made versions using fresh-roasted whole spices produce a significantly more complex result. The dal made with goda masala is called amti and is the centerpiece of the traditional Maharashtrian thali.