Misal pav is a popular Maharashtrian street food that is spicy and flavourful. Misal is the spicy sprout curry or usal, which is topped with onion, coriander and sev. Pav is the bread that is served with it.
For those with a spicy palette, this dish is a hot favourite. Traditionally sold on hand carts, when it originated around a hundred years ago, misal pav has come a long way. It often features on the menu of fast food as well as fine dining restaurants.
This mouth-watering dish can also be made at home. A good misal pav recipe will ensure you can enjoy this spicy item in the comfort of your home anytime you, please.
Misal Pav Ingredients
Misal pav is not very difficult to make at home. If you want to learn how to make misal pav, there are a few ingredients you may need to buy especially for a misal pav recipe.
Misal
The chief ingredient of misal pav is the misal. It is made from moth bean sprouts. You can also use moong bean sprouts or mixed bean sprouts. The curry made of sprouts is also called ‘usal’.
Potatoes
Boiled potatoes cut into small pieces are used in the misal pav recipe. If you want, you can skip the potatoes.
Masala
The spices and condiments used to make misal include salt, turmeric, ginger, curry leaves, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and garam masala. Goda masala is a staple in a misal pav recipe, but in case you cannot find it, pav bhaji masala or garam masala powder will do.
Sev
Also called ‘farsan’, this is a savoury mixture sprinkled as a topping.
Pav
The bread that completes the dish and gives it its full name is the last ingredient.Nutritional Value of Misal Pav
Misal pav has become a versatile dish over the years. For those who are diet-conscious or need to avoid fatty foods for health reasons, the dish can be enjoyed with a few changes.
Moth bean sprouts are a rich source of calcium as well as dietary fibre. They help maintain strong gut health and strengthen the muscles in your body.
Ingredients like ginger, garlic and coconut contain a host of benefits and provide high fibre content, improvement of cholesterol levels, and better digestion, amongst many others.
Tomatoes and onions that form an integral part of this dish are also great sources of antioxidants. They help boost immunity and are good for heart health.
To ensure that misal pav provides nutrition, you can avoid adding potatoes, topping the dish with farsan, and cooking it in oil that has previously been used for deep frying. You can also use gluten-free bread in place of the otherwise buttery pav.
Preparation of Misal Pav
To know how to make misal pav at home, some simple preparation is required. You need moth bean sprouts. Wash the moth beans well in a large bowl. Put them in a strainer and rinse them thoroughly.
Transfer the washed beans to another, clean bowl and soak in plenty of water. Leave them overnight. Drain out the water from the beans and rinse again.
Take a clean muslin cloth. Add a bit of water to make it damp and place it in a large bowl. Transfer the washed moth beans into this muslin cloth and tie it up. Leave it in a cool and dry part of your kitchen overnight.
Once you have sprouted the beans, you can cook them in either a big pan, or a pressure cooker.
To boil the sprouts, add them to the pan or pressure cooker with enough water to cover the beans completely. Add the boiled potatoes, if you wish to use potatoes in the recipe, a pinch of salt and about one teaspoon of haldi.
Boil the sprouts. Check to ensure the sprouts are soft and well-cooked.
Misal Pav Recipe: Making Usal
The next step in the misal pav recipe is making usal. Usal is the curry made from moth bean sprouts.
Soak some tamarind in warm water for about half an hour. Then, squeeze out the pulp and keep aside for using in the usal later.
To make the usal, heat some oil in a pan. You can use mustard oil or any neutral-flavoured oil of choice. When it is hot, add cumin seeds and cook till they turn golden brown. Add one large finely chopped onion. Sauté till the onion turns golden brown. Next, add a fistful of curry leaves, one teaspoon of ginger paste, one teaspoon of garlic paste and some finely chopped green chillies as per your taste. Stir this mixture well.
Now add the spices. You can add haldi or turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and the goda masala. In place of goda masala, pav bhaji masala or garam masala powder can also be used. Mix it well. Now add in the tamarind pulp that was prepared earlier.
Drain the water from the cooked sprouts and potatoes and add them to the curry being prepared. Keep the water to add in parts to the curry for desired consistency.
Add salt to taste. You can also add some sugar or jaggery if you prefer a sweeter taste. Cook till the curry starts to thicken. Add water as necessary. Add finely cut fresh coriander leaves and mix well.
Assembling the Misal Pav
Prepare the toppings. Chop onions, tomatoes and fresh coriander leaves finely and keep aside. Cut a few wedges of lemon too.
Serve the cooked usal into bowls. Make sure the bowls are not too deep. Top the usal with chopped onions, tomatoes and coriander. Then, add the sev or farsan.
Place some more finely chopped onions on the side. Add a lemon wedge on top of it.
The pav bun should be cooked fresh so that they are hot when served. Heat butter in a flat-bottom pan or tawa. Add the sliced pav to it and cook on both sides till golden brown.
Place the hot pav buns on the side of the dish with the usal and serve the dish steaming hot.
Expert Tips for Making Misal Pav
Misal pav is easy to prepare, if you have all the misal ingredients and follow this easy misal recipe. Some tips can help you ensure the dish turns out perfect.
Sprouts Used
Moth bean sprouts are traditionally used in the misal pav recipe. However, if you do not have moth beans, you can also use mung bean or mixed bean sprouts. In case you use mixed bean sprouts, make sure you cook the beans for a little longer as mixed beans take longer to cook.
Farsan
Add the farsan on top of the misal only at the time of serving. If you add it before that, it will turn soft and soggy.
Cooking Misal
While cooking the misal, make sure you dilute the usal carefully. Adding too much water will dilute the flavours.
Instructions for Making Misal Pav
Misal pav is such a popular Maharashtrian dish that every household loves it. However, not every person or member of a family might be allowed to eat it due to health reasons. It is very easy to convert this favourite menu item into a healthy version.
Use less oil to cook the usal. Omit the potatoes from the recipe. And skip the farsan topping. You can even use gluten-free toasted bread instead of the buttered pav. And voila! You have a healthy variety of otherwise famous street food.
Another important ingredient in misal pav is the masala used. Goda masala is a staple in a misal pav recipe. However, if you do not have goda masala powder, you can also use pav bhaji masala, or garam masala powder. While the taste is likely to differ from the original misal pav, it will taste delicious anyway.
The original misal pav is oily and spicy. If you want to make authentic misal pav, use more oil and goda masala. But the recipe can easily be tempered to suit individual tastes, preferences and palates. Use of less oil and spices has become more common nowadays to suit healthy lifestyles.
FAQs
Is misal pav a vegan dish?
Yes, misal pav is a vegan dish. It can also be cooked in vegan oil.
Can misal pav be made gluten-free?
If you use gluten-free bread in place of the pav, you can make this a gluten-free dish.
Is misal pav healthy?
If cooked in less oil, without the potatoes and farsan topping, misal pav can be turned into a healthy snack or meal item.