Misal Pav (Misal Recipe)
Misal pav, a well-liked Maharashtrian street food, consists of usal (sprouts curry) topped with onions, tomatoes, farsan (fried savory mixture), lemon juice, and garnished with coriander leaves. This delectable dish is served alongside soft pav (Indian dinner rolls).
Ingredients
For Cooking Sprouts
- 2 cups moth bean sprouts (matki sprouts) or mixed bean sprouts or moong bean sprouts – I used about 1 cup of moth beans to prepare the sprouts
- 2 potatoes small to medium – cubed in 1.5 to 2 inches
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups water or as required
For The Usal (Sprouts Curry)
- 1 onion medium to large – finely chopped
- 1 to 2 green chilies – chopped
- 1 to 1.5 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste or 3 to 4 garlic cloves + 1 inch ginger- crushed in a mortar-pestle to a fine paste
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 10 to 12 curry leaves
- 1 to 1.5 tablespoon Goda Masala or kala masala
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1.5 teaspoons tamarind – soaked in ⅓ or ½ cup water or 2 to 3 kokums
- ¾ to 1 cup water or add as required
- 3 tablespoons oil
- salt as required
For The Misal Pav
- 8 to 10 pav (bread rolls) or bread slices as required
- ½ cup finely chopped onions
- ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes optional
- ½ to 1 cup thick sev or farsan (chiwda), fried savory snack mixture
- 1 lemon or lime quartered or diced
- ⅓ cup chopped coriander leaves
- ½ cup Curd or yogurt, beaten, optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse the moth bean sprouts first in running water a couple of times.
- Drain the water and then add the sprouts, cubed potatoes turmeric powder and salt in a pressure cooker.
- Add water and mix well. If using mixed bean sprouts, you will have to add more water.
- Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. You can also cook the bean sprouts in a pan or Instant pot adding required amount of water.
- In a small bowl soak the tamarind in ⅓ or ½ cup warm water for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Squeeze the tamarind and extract the pulp. Keep the tamarind pulp aside.
Making Usal For Misal Pav
- Heat oil in another pan. Keep the heat to low and then crackle the mustard seeds.
- Then add the cumin and saute for some seconds till the cumin gets golden.
- Add the chopped onions and saute till translucent stirring often.
- Then add the curry leaves, ginger-garlic paste and green chilies
- Stir and saute for few seconds or till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
- Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder and goda masala.
- Stir and then add the tamarind pulp. Saute till the raw aroma of the tamarind goes away.
- Drain the water using a strainer from the pressure cooked matki sprouts and potatoes and add them to the pan.
- Stir and add ¾ to 1 cup water or more water if required depending upon the consistency you want in the usal.
- Season with salt and simmer the usal for 8 to 10 minutes on a low heat with occasional stirrings.
- Lastly garnish with coriander leaves. if you want you can also add sugar or jaggery for some sweetness
Assembling The Misal Pav
- Whilst the usal is simmering, you can prep the toppings for the misal pav.
- Finely chop the onions and tomatoes. Keep aside.
- Take the steaming usal in 3 to 4 individual serving bowls or plates.
- In each bowl of usal, first add the chopped onions and tomatoes.
- Then top usal with chopped coriander leaves. Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice. Then top it with farsan or chiwda.
- Serve the misal bowl in a plate with pav buns and a side of chopped lemons, finely chopped onions and farsan/sev/chiwda. Enjoy the misal pav hot as soon as it is prepared.
Nutrition
Calories: 913kcalCarbohydrates: 145gProtein: 43gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gSodium: 1137mgPotassium: 2179mgFiber: 11gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 444IUVitamin C: 96mgCalcium: 459mgIron: 17mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!