Misal is very famous in the entire state of Maharashtra and a very popular street food. Misal is mostly made for the breakfast but can enjoy as a snack too. It consists of two curries one is dry one (moth beans curry) and the other curry called as tarri/kat which is thin spicy gravy. This recipe requires lots of oil (you can add less), it is a traditional Indian dish. Main part of this mixture is Sabji/Usal made from sprouted Matki/Moth beans but some add mixed beans also. The final dish is topped with Punjabi mix, Farsan or chivda (Indian fried noodles from gram flour), poha (flatten rice), onions, lemon and coriander leaves (cilantro). It is usually served with pav or bun or bread toasted with butter.
Misal means mixture. It’s hot, delicious. But you can prepare it mild also. Misal is very spicy hot and served with pav (Buns). Misal Pav is not a junk food but healthy, nourishing snack. There are different types of Misal in Maharashtra like Kolhapuri Misal, Khandeshi Misal, Puneri Misal, Mamledar Misal, Dahi Misal & so on. Puneri missal or Kolhapur missal Maharashtra’s most popular misal breakfast dish.
I have started preparing the missal a day before, as it will make my work easier, as I have to soak moth beans and leave whole day again for sprouting and prepared fresh paste for the kat (curry). I have not used any goda masala (Maharashtrain ready-made spice mixture, can be made or bought from the shop), but grounded fresh paste and spices. Prepare the paste and kat/tarri one day before and for sprouts, soak moth beans overnight with sufficient water, strain it next day and again put it in a cotton cloth(tie it) or in vessel container and close and keep near warm place, till it sprouts. For missal pav I prepared spicy curry kat/tarri, moth beans curry and poha (optional). In Mumbai, most of the people prepare missal as per their taste, they add godda masala (spice powder). This missal pav I have prepared with neither of the spice mixture but added garam masala with few more spice additions.
Ingredients
- Kat/tarri (curry)
Paste
- Oil – 2 tsp
- Onion – 1 or 100 gms
- Garlic – 3 big cloves
- Star anise – 1
- Dry coconut – 20 gms
- Water – 50 ml
- Tomato (paste) – 200 gms or 2
- Oil – 50 ml or less
- Mustard seeds – 3/4 tsp
- Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Chilli powder – 3 tsp
- Coriander powder – 2 tsp
- Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp
- Saunf powder – 1/2 tsp
- Garam masala - 2 tsp
- Green chilli (chopped) – 1
- Sugar – 1 tsp
- Tamarind paste (concentrated) – 1 tsp
- Salt
Ussal (Moth bean) curry
- Oil – 2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves – 15
- Onion (chopped) – 1
- Tomato (chopped) – 1
- Ginger and garlic paste – 1 tsp
- Asafoetida (hing) - 1/4 tsp
- Moth bean – 1 cup
- Star anise – 1
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
- Chilli powder – 1 tsp
- Coriander powder - 1 tsp
- Water – 5 cups
Poha
- Oil – 2 tsp
- Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
- Curry leaves – 12
- Onion (medium) – 1/2
- Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
- Green chillies (chopped) – 1
- Garam masala – 1/4 tsp
- Poha – 1 cup
- Lemon juice – 2 tsp
- Salt - as per taste
Garnishing and serving
- Pav (bread or bun)
- Chopped onion
- Lemon wedges
- Punjabi mix or farsan or sev
- Chopped tomato
- Chopped Coriander leaves
Method
Paste for the curry
- Add oil on the preheated pan and roast garlic, onion till light brown, then add dry coconut pieces or grated, star anise and roast till golden brown, allow cooling.
- Grind to a smooth paste by adding water.
Making tarri/kat
- Heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, cook till it splutters, add all the spices and cook in oil for 30sec on low flame.
- Add the onion paste and tomato paste and chopped green chillies, mix well.
- Add 300ml water, when it starts boiling, close the lid and cook till it starts leaving oil on medium flame.
- Add 100ml water again, sugar and tamarind paste, cook on medium flame for 10min.
- Reduce the flame to lower and cook for 10min, switch it off.
- The curry will be reddish in colour and thin.
To make ussal
- Soak moth beans in water, overnight, and then strain the water, put in a container and close with the lid near warm pace again for 12hrs till sprouts are seen.
- Heat the oil, add mustard seeds, hing, and let it splutter, add onion and cook till it is soft and translucent.
- Add ginger and garlic paste, tomato, star anise and all dry spice powder, mix well and cook for 1 to 2min, add water 1cup and cook till tomatoes become soft and spices are cooked well.
- Add moth beans sprouts and 4cups of water till moth bean sprouts are cooked well and all the water is absorbed, but still moisture should be there. Or you can add boiled moth beans.
To make poha
- Wash poha (rice flakes)
- Heat oil in a vessel, add oil, when hot add mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing and let it splutter for few seconds.
- Add onion and green chilli, cook till soft and translucent.
- Add turmeric, garam masala, mix quickly, add poha and mix well.
- Sprinkle lemon juice and coriander leaves, mix well, close the lid and cook on low flame 3 to 4min, switch off.
Making missal
- Take a serving bowl, add ussal, poha and then pour tarri/kat curry as required.
- Add chopped onion, Punjabi mixture or farsan or chivda (sev), tomato with a piece of lemon wedge.
- Serve with pav (heat the pan, add 1tsp butter and toast on both sides slightly).
Notes
- Add chilli powder and tamarind paste as per your taste.
- Can soak dry tamarind in water and squeeze its pulp and use as per your taste.
- Can serve missal with tamarind sweet chutney and yoghurt.
- Can cook ussal in a cooker as it saves time.
- You may assemble & layer the misal the way you prefer.
- You can use mixed sprouts or select sprouts according to your preference.
- Tarri/Kat can be prepared with your own mix of spices or with readymade masalas (goda masala) which are easily available in the market.
