Misal pav is popular Maharashtrian breakfast and Mumbai street food. Spicy Lentil Sprout curry is served with toppings of onion, tomatoes, farsan (chvda, pohe, Sev etc). This popular Maharashtrian dish of spicy Misal with Pav can be served as Breakfast / snack or meal.
Misal pav is essentially made of two components : Usal and Kaat or rassa. Usal is prepared with moth beans. For preparing usal sprouted moth beans / matki is cooked with spices. Second part is Rassa or Kat, a firey gravy which is mixed with Usal and then topped with various misal pav toppings. .
There are many Variations of Misal Pav. The most popular ones are these two. The first one is Misal pav from Pune known as Puneri Misal, and the second is Kolhapuri Misal pav.
In Pune style misal pav, poha or pohe is the first layer, which is topped with usal and followed by Rassa or kaat and toppings.
Kolhapuri Misal is very spicy and known for the use of lots of chillies. I use two words SPICY and HOT. When I say spicy it means very very spicy, like sweating with heat kind of spicy.
How To Make Spicy Misal Pav?
Ingredients for Misal Pav
Lentils: Traditionally Sprouted moth lentils also known as Matki are used to make misal. But you can also use sprouted moong beans to make usal.
Fresh Ingredients and Veggies: Potatoes, tomatoes, onion, ginger, coriander, green chillis, curry leaves
Oil: Any vegetable oil of your choice
Spices: Garam masala, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, mustard seeds, asafoetida/Hing, Salt to taste, goda masala*, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, grated dry coconut, black peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom
Goda masala – (It's equivalent to Garam Masala and is populary used in Maharastrian cuisine)
TO Serve: farsan (savoury namkeen mix), Pav buns, lemon
How To Make it
Authentic and traditional Misal recipe is cooked in two parts: It an easy process, slightly lengthy but super easy.
First is Making Usal
To make usal, first sprouted moth or matki dal is cooked with, cubed potatoes salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, oil in water. Dal is pressure cooked for 2-3 whistles. and then I allow the pressure to release naturally.
When this is done I make tempering for misal. For that I heat oil in tadka pan, add mustard seeds, cumin, few curry leaves and allow them to sizzle a bit.
Next I add red chilli powder and goda masala. Add this sizzling tadka in the Cooked dal.
Second Step is Making Rassa (Kat) for Misal Pav
Next is making Masala for the rassa, for that take coriander seeds, peppercorns , cloves, cardamom and cinnamon, roast them for a minute.
Next add grated dry coconut and roast the spices and coconut till it becomes light brown. Next add chopped onion and cook till onion become soft and then chopped tomato.
Cook this masala for rassa till tomatoes also become soft.
Cool down this masala and added ¼ cup of water and blend to a smooth paste.
To cook the red gravy for misal, heat oil in a pan and add this ground masala paste.
Cook this masala till well roasted. Then add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder for nice red colour, salt to taste and Pav bhaji masala.
Add some water and keep this cooking till it starts to release oil and then add 2cups of water.
Now cook this gravy for 5-6 minutes to make thick fiery gravy, Kat or rassa.
How to Serve Misal Pav
- To Serve misal pav, first serve a layer of Mataki usal on a serving plate.
- Next top this usal with red gravy or kat over it and then and add farsan. Lastly add chopped onions and coriander leaves. Misal is ready.
- Finally Serve misal with toasted and buttered pav buns.
Misal Pav Recipe Video
What Is difference between Misal Pav and Usal Pav?
Usal is water based lentil curry which is prepared with sprouted moth/matki and it can be served with Indian dinner roll known as pav. The combination is called Usal Pav
To prepare Misal Pav, first usal is prepared and when Usal is topped with farsan, onion, tomatoes it is called Misal. When Misal is served with Pav it is known as misal pav.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- If you don't have matki or moth at home you can use moong beans.
- If you like more butter just like street style recipe you can go ahead and use more.
More Such Recipes to Try
If you are a fan of Mumbai street food you might like to check many other recipes of Mumbai street food on my website too
Ragada Pattice,
Cheese Masala Pav
Batata Vada,
Mumbai Vada Pav,
Mumbai Masala Pav,
Dahi Sev Puri Chaat,
Pav Bhaji
Kolhapuri Misal Pav | Traditional Maharashtrian Recipe
Ingredients
For Making Usal
- 1 cup Moth beans Sprouts and steamed
- 200 grams potato
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala goda masala
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 5-6 curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- pinch Asafoetida
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Oil
For Kat
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 cinnamon
- 1 cardamom
- 1 teaspoon black pepper whole
- 1 large Onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 Tomatoes inely chopped
- 2 tablespoon grated Dry coconut
- 1.5 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon kala masala or pav bhaji masala if you don’t have kala masala
- Salt to taste
To Serve Misal Pav
- 3-4 tablespoon Mixed Farsan
- 6 Pav Buns
- 2-3 tablespoon onion finely chopped
- 4 tablespoon chopped Coriander leaves
- 1 lemon cut into small wedges
- 2-3 tablespoon Tomatoes chopped
Instructions
- Take sprouted moth beans or matki and cook in a pressure cooker along with salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder for two whistle.
- Now heat 1 tablespoon oil in a tadka pan and add curry leaves, mustard seeds and pinch of asafoetida, switch off the heat add ¼ teaspoon garam masala or goda masala to it and pour it over cooked matki. Usal is ready.
To Make Rassa / Kat
- Dry roast 2 tablespoon coriander seeds, black pepper, 5-6 cloves, 1 small cardamom, I inch pc of cinnamon and roast them till fragrant Next add grated dry coconut and roast it till light brown. When it is light brown add chopped onion and cook till onion become soft.
- Then add 1 medium sized chopped tomato and cook till this also softens up.
- Allow the mixture to cool down and blend it in a fine paste.
- Heat 1 tablespoon Oil in a pan, add blended paste and add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, kala masala/pav bhaji masala and salt to your taste. Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add 1.5 cups of water and cook for 6-7 minutes on medium low heat
- Finish the kat with chopped coriander leaves and use it to top the usal.
To Serve Misal pav
- Slit the Pav buns and apply some butter as per your liking and warm them over tava, just take care not to overcook them.
- Now in a bowl first add layer of Usal (moth bean preparation , add second layer of kat and top it with chopped onion, coriander leaves and farsan.
- Scoop up the misal with soft buttered pav and enjoy !
Notes
- If you don't have matki or moth at home you can use moong beans.
- If you like more butter just like street style recipe you can go ahead and use more.
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