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Misal Pav

A Indian street food of spicy sprouts curry topped with chopped onion, tomatoes and crispy chickpea based crunchies served with small buns.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Breakfast, brunch, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Misal:

  • 1 cup moong bean sprouts
  • 1 cup matki or moath bean sprouts
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 tbsp ghee or oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 1 cup minced onion
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic or paste
  • 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp poppy seeds
  • 3 to 4 dried red chilli Byadgi chillies
  • 2 tbsp well toasted coconut
  • 1 tbsp ghee or oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp Goda masala
  • 1 tsp tamarind paste
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tbsp jaggery
  • More water if needed

For the Topping:

  • 2 cups Farsan/ Chivda/ Sev
  • 1 1/2 cups minced onion
  • 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes optional
  • 3/4 cup chopped fresh coriander

For the Potato Curry:

  • 1 1/2 tsp oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 1 to 2 green chillies chopped
  • 4 large potatoes bolied peeled and chopped
  • Salt to taste

For Serving:

  • 6 to 8 Pav or slider buns
  • Butter for the buns optional
  • A few wedges of lime

Instructions
 

Make the Misal:

  • Cook the sprouted beans in the 3 cups of water till they’re cooked soft. Like most Indian kitchens, I use the pressure cooker for this. Drain the beans and reserve the water they were cooked in. This water will be used in the Tarri or Rassa of the Misal later. Keep aside.
  • Heat 1 tbsp of the ghee or oil in a largish pan/ pot on medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Then add the curry leaves and minced onion. Sauté till the onions are soft and a light brown. Add the ginger and garlic and cook till the raw smell disappears.
  • Now add the tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, till they turn mushy. Add the coriander, cumin and turmeric powders and cook for a couple of minutes till the oil bubbles up on the edges. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for a while till it is barely warm.
  • Empty this mixture into the blender jar. Add the fennel seeds, poppy seeds, dried red Byadgi chillies and the well toasted coconut as well. Blend to a smooth paste using a little of the reserved liquid from cooking the sprouts.
  • Heat the remaining 1 tbsp of ghee in the same pan. Add the paste and sauté for a couple of minutes. Stir in the Goda masala and the cooked sprouts. Add the reserved liquid to the pan with salt and tamarind paste. Stir well and bring it to a boil. Turn down the heat and let the Misal simmer for about 10 minutes till it starts thickening. Stir in the jaggery and add a little more water if you feel the consistency needs adjustment.
  • Turn off the heat. Misal needs to be served warm. You can always warm it up just before serving if necessary.

Make the Potato Curry:

  • Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the turmeric powder, curry leaves and chopped chillies. Stir a couple of times and add the boiled and chopped potatoes and salt. Mix really well and let this cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Take it off the heat. This is ready to serve.

Putting the Misal Pav together:

  • Use a small serving bowl the size of a largish soup bowl for each person. Ladle the Misal into each bowl, filling it to about two thirds. Make sure there is enough of the liquid gravy.
  • Add about a generous tablespoon of minced onion and then tomatoes to the bowl. Then add some chopped coriander. Garnish with a generous amount of the crisp Farsan/ Chivda/ Sev. Serve with one or two Pavs per person, plain or buttered. Also serve the remaining minced onion and chopped tomatoes with larger bowls of the potato curry and yogurt on the table as accompaniment.