Misal Pav | How To Make Misal Pav Recipe

Misal Pav is a spicy and flavorful, nutritious, and protein-packed dish from Maharashtra served with ladi pav bun - Indian dinner rolls.

Misal Pav is one of the popular street food in Maharashtra and Goa, that is also served for breakfast, as a snack, or even as a light meal in itself.

This is one of my old and first posts on the blog. Updating it with new pictures and content.

Are you a street food lover?

I first had Misal pav when I visited Goa. I totally fell in love with the way it was served, its taste and flavor and I knew I am going to recreate it at home as soon as possible. I started finding online to know more about the dish, its origin, and how it is made.

Traditionally goda masala and kala masala - two spice powders are used. Today's recipe may not be the authentic one as I have not used any of these spice powders but the dish tastes very close to it.  You may be wondering how one can tell that the dish tastes similar without the right spices? I have tried adding goda masala too when I had it in my pantry. It mainly gives additional flavor and spiciness.

But let me tell you that this dish tastes delicious even without these spice powders and if you love spicy food or have craving for street food then you should definitely try this out and you are going to love this protein-packed recipe.

I love Maharashtrian food and eating food from the streets of Mumbai is always my dream. If I ever visit Mumbai, after things come back to normal, I am going to try misal pav for sure along with batata vada, vada pav, bhel puri, and pav bhaji because I drool whenever I watch videos of street food, especially from Mumbai.

Coming back to Misal Pav and Usal Pav

What is Misal Pav?

Misal Pav is a traditional dish from Kolhapur, Maharashtra. The authentic dish consists of misal - a spicy curry made using moth beans sprouts (matki sprouts) or mung beans or any combination of sprouts, onion, tomatoes, chilies, and few spices which are then served with bread slices or ladi pav, pav or bun (dinner rolls).

Apart from using moth or matki to make misal pav, you can also use matar or vatana (green peas), chawli (black eyed peas), kala or Kabuli Chana (chickpeas), Val, etc.

Today, I have made a variation of misal pav with green peas (Matar Chi Usal).

The process for all these legumes remains the same.

Misal Pav vs Usal Pav

To make Misal, first, you have to make Usal - the curry using lentils or legumes. This is then topped with onions, tomatoes, farsan or sev, coriander leaves, lemon wedges, and a spicy gravy to form Misal. 

Thus Misal has two parts thick curry is called usal and spicy gravy is called kat or rassa or tarri. People love to serve separately or mix two of these based on their taste.

Variations to Misal

• Nashik version of misal is spicy and is served with curd, pav, chopped coriander leaves.
• Puneri Misal is made with poha or pohe.
• To make Dahi misal, top misal with yogurt or dahi.
• Upwas Misal is mainly prepared during fasting, vrat or upvas days prepared using sabudana, potatoes, and peanuts.
• Jain Misal is a new variation, onion and garlic are skipped in the recipe.

Ingredients for Misal Pav

1 cup Green peas (dried) (You can also use ½ cup Green peas and ½ cup split green peas, check tips for more substitutes)
2 Potatoes, boiled
1 big Onion, chopped
2 to 3 Green chilies, chopped
1 inch Ginger, grated
1 Tomato, finely chopped (or 2 teaspoon Lemon juice)
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil or cooking oil

For the Masala
4 tablespoon Grated Coconut
1 tablespoon Coriander seeds
½ to 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
2 Cloves
½ to 1-inch Cinnamon stick
3 Dry red chilies
1 tablespoon or Small ball of tamarind

For Tempering or Seasoning
1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
5 Garlic cloves
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Dry red chilies
1 Curry Leaves sprig
1 tablespoon Oil

How to Make Misal Pav or Usal Pav

• I have used dried green peas. If using dried green peas follow these steps: wash and soak peas in enough water overnight. The next morning drain the water. Add them to the pressure cooker and cover with enough water - at least inch above peas (approx. 3 cups) - and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. One on high and 2 to 3 on medium flame.  If you are yet to boil potatoes, you can cut them into cubes and pressure cook along with peas.
• Dry roast the ingredients mentioned under "For the masala" on low flame till aromatic. Grind it in a mixer or blender to form a smooth paste.
• In a pan on medium heat, add oil, onions, and saute till onions become translucent. Add green chilies and ginger and saute for a minute.
• Add chopped tomato and cook until soft.
• Now add the ground masala, boiled potato, green peas, salt to taste, goda masala (if adding), little water for desired consistency and bring it to a nice boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
• In another pan, heat oil on medium flame. Add mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add cumin seeds, crushed garlic cloves, and sauté till garlic becomes light golden in color. Add curry leaves, dry red chile, and saute for another 1 minute.
• Add this tempering to Misal gravy and switch off the flame.
• Garnish it with farsan or sev, onions, cilantro or coriander leaves, lemon wedges just before you are ready to serve along with FRESH HOMEMADE PAV BUN OR DINNER ROLLS.

Tips:

• I have tried the recipe with and without goda masala and both taste great. If you are planning to add goda masala, you may add up to 1 tablespoon in the recipe.
• To balance spicy and sour flavors,, add 1 teaspoon of jaggery or sugar to the gravy.
• You can substitute green peas with moth bean sprouts (matki sprouts) or mung beans or chawli (black-eyed peas), kala or Kabuli Chana (chickpeas), Val, etc.
• You can even use fresh or frozen green peas (vatana). If using fresh or frozen green peas, use at least 2 cups.
• Dry, fresh, frozen, or shredded-desiccated coconut - all work equally well in the recipe.
• This dish tastes best when served spicy. This is medium spicy. You can adjust red and green chilies as per taste.
• You can substitute dry red chile with red chilie powder.
• Add the garnish only before you are ready to serve. Else it will turn soggy and may not taste great.

How to sprout beans?

For those who are planning to use moth beans or mung beans,

• If you already have sprouted mung beans or matki sprouts, skip this step.
• Else wash matki and soak them in enough water for 6 hours or overnight. After 6 hours, drain the water. Wrap them in a clean cloth or air-tight container and keep them in a dark warm place to sprout - anywhere between 12 to 24 hours.
• Add the sprouted beans to the pressure cooker along with water ½ inch above the sprouts and cook on a medium flame for 10 to 15 minutes or one whistle till it turns soft.

How to make Misal Pav or Usal Pav in Instant pot

• Soak the dried green peas in water overnight. The next morning drain it and keep it aside. If using fresh or frozen, ignore this step.
• Set the instant pot to saute mode. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add cumin seeds, and crushed garlic cloves, and sauté till garlic becomes light golden in color. Add curry leaves and dry red chile, and saute for another 1 minute. Transfer this to a plate and keep it aside.
• You do not have to clean the pot. Next, add all the ingredients mentioned under "For the masala" and roast till it becomes aromatic.
• Transfer this to a blender and blend it to a smooth paste.
• Next, add oil and onions to the instant pot on sauté mode and saute till it becomes translucent. Next, add green chile and ginger and saute for another minute.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook until soft.
• Now add ground masala, potatoes cut into cubes, green peas, salt to taste, goda masala (if adding), 3 cups of water, and give it a nice stir.
• Close the instant pot. Set the vent to sealing position. Cook on manual high pressure for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
• Open the lid, check for salt, spices, and consistency, and adjust accordingly.
• Add the tempering or seasoning prepared earlier and mix well.
• When you are ready to serve, transfer it to a bowl. Garnish it with farsan, sev, onion, tomatoes, and coriander leaves and enjoy.

Detailed recipe for Misal Pav (Stovetop and Instant Pot)

Recipe card

If you like this Indian street food recipe,

Don't miss to check out some of my popular and delicious Indian food recipes to try this festival and holiday season, parties, or any time of the year.

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