Misal Pav

The Origins of Misal Pav

Misal literally means a mixture and true to its name the dish is a marriage of hot spicy and tangy flavours with multiple textures elevating it to just another culinary level. It is a delightful mixture of slurpy sprouted moth beans gravy (usal) topped with with crunchy farsan, chopped onions, coriander leaves and served with a side of 'zanzanit 'rassa and soft pavs.

The dish is said to be created by Kondaji Farzand, a Maratha warrior in the 17th century, who wanted something quick and nutritious for his soldiers on the go. Does it sound incredible? Well, not entirely as the pav was already introduced to India by the Portuguese in the 16th century and usal, as we all know, is a traditional Maharashtrian dish known to us for ages. The dish was supposedly known as usal-misal back then.

No matter, what the origins are, today it is one of the most popular street food and breakfast items of Maharashtra, especially in Pune and Kolhapur.

Umpteen Regional Variants

The variations of Misal Pav are endless and mindblowing. Each region has a stamped its mark on the iconic misal pav. The Puneri misal is mild and slightly sweet while the Kolhapuri misal is just fire on your tongue. I have tried many varities of misal having been born and brought up in Maharashtra. Two variants which come to my mind are - The Bedekar Misal of Pune and Thane's Mamledar Misal which mimics the spice levels of Kolhapuri Misal. I like all kinds of misal but I love the misal which I make at home :). I am sure each household too has its own recipe for which they vouch for. Let's take a look at my Misal Pav recipe which is an easy one and a super hit in my house:

Ingredients for Misal (Usal: (Serves 3)

2 cups of sprouted moth beans or matki (1 cup of moth beans gives you about 2 cups of sprouts. You can replace moth bean sprouts with moong sprouts too)

1 medium sized onion - finely chopped

0.5 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 .5 tbsp of coriander powder

3 tbsp of usal masala or 1.5 tsp of goda/garam masala

1 tsp of amchur powder (dry mango powder)

1/2 tsp of sugar/powdered jaggery - optional

3-4 cups of water to adjust the consistency

A handful of finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Salt to taste

To be ground into a paste for usal without adding any water:

2 medium sized tomatoes - roughly chopped

5-6 garlic pods - roughly chopped

1 inch of Ginger - roughly chopped

3 tsp of dessicated coconut

2-3 slit green chillies

For tempering the usal:

1.5 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/4th cup oil

8-10 curry leaves

A generous pinch of hing/asafoetida

Add ons:

Misal pav is to be served with ladi pav, farsan, finely chopped onion, poha, boiled potato cubes and lemon wedges

Recipe for Misal:

Let's start by preparing the usal and then mixing it with various assortments to turn it into an inviting plate of Misal.

Start by heating the oil in a kadai. To the hot oil, add the mustard seeds and when they start popping, add the cumin seeds. Next, add the curry leaves, hing and make a nice flavourful tempering.

To this hot tempered oil, add the chopped onions. Fry them well. To this, add the thick paste of tomatoes-ginger-garlic, coconut and green chillies. Fry it well till the oil separates from the sides of the kadai.

Add the masalas - turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix it well. Add 2 cups of water and let the mixture come to a boil. To this, add the sprouted moth beans and give it a nice stir. Cover the kadai and let it cook for 8-10 minutes on medium heat till the sprouts get cooked.

Check the consistency and taste of the usal. If you want it more spicy or slurpy, then this is the time to add more usal-misal masala or garam masala and water. Adjust the taste with salt and sugar and spices as required. Garnish it with coriander leaves and the usal is ready.

Assemble the Misal:

Take a wide-mouthed bowl. Add chopped boiled potatoes to it. Add a spoonful of usal and two ladles of rassa (gravy) from the usal. To this add a handful of farsan, finely chopped onions and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with soft ladi pav….slurp…enjoy!

If you liked this Maharashtrian street food recipe, then don't miss out on another popular street food of Maharashtra - Vada pav. Try karna to banta hai.