Maharashtrian Breakfast Recipes: Prepare Misal-Pav in Easy Steps!

Misal Pav is one of Maharashtra’s most lip-smacking recipes which serves as a breakfast item or can be a whole meal by itself. The dish which is a combination of sprouts and farsan is wholesome and very filling. Nutritious sprouts are cooked with masalas and served with a fiery, tangy spice curry which stimulates your taste buds to no end. It goes best with laddi Pav which can be freshly bought from the bakery or made at home.

Without much fanfare let us go into the misal pav recipe.

Ingredients required for making misal pav

Spice Paste

• 2 tbsp. Oil
• 1 tsp. of ginger and garlic paste each
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• ¾ cup roasted dry coconut

Kat/ Spice Curry

• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• ¾ tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. degchi mirch powder
• 1 tsp. dhania-jeera powder (coriander-cumin)
• 1/2 tsp. lavang-dalchini powder (clove-cinnamon)
• 4 cups water
• Salt to taste

Usal

• 1.5 cups mixed sprouts; including moong, matki, chavli and white peas which are soaked overnight
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. each of ginger and garlic paste
• ½. tsp. hing
• ¾. tsp. haldi powder
• 1 heaped tsp. goda masala
• ½ tsp. lavang-dalchini powder
• 1 medium cubed potato
• 1 small lime juice
• 1 tsp. jaggery powder (optional)

Garnishing

• Finely chopped onion
• Finely chopped coriander
• Dry farsan mixture
• Slice of lemon

Preparation of Spice Paste for misal pav

1. Heat 2 tbsp. of oil in a kadai.
2. Add the ginger paste, garlic paste and sauté.
3. Add onions and sauté till they are translucent.
4. Add tomatoes and the dry roasted coconut.
5. Sauté the mixture for a few minutes and remove from heat.
6. Let it cool and grind to a smooth paste in the grinder.

Preparation of Kat/Spice Curry

1. Heat 3 tbsp. of oil in the kadai. Add the spice paste to it and sauté for a couple of minutes.
2. Add mirchi powder, dhania-jeera powder, garam masala, dalchini-lavang powder and salt. Stir it.
3. Add water and let the mixture cook till the oil starts separating.
4. Remove from heat and pour the mixture into a serving bowl.

Preparation of Usal

1. Heat 2 tbsp. of oil in a pressure pan. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a few seconds.
2. Add mixed sprouts and cubed potato. Stir it and add hing, haldi, goda masala, lavang-dalchini powder.
3. Add salt to taste and 1 tsp. of jaggery powder.
4. Add lime juice and water amounting to 3 cups or so.
5. Let the whole mixture cook in the pressure pan till it starts whistling. Close the heat and let the pressure pan rest on the kitchen platform.
6. On cooling, check for the water level in the contents and adjust as required.

Serving tips!

1. Pour the ready Usal into a serving bowl. Pour the spice curry over it.
2. Add finely chopped onions.
3. Spread the dry farsan mixture over it.
4. Add chopped coriander.
5. Serve it with pav and slice of lemon.

Tips about Misal Pav Recipe

You can soak matki and moong at noon and put them in a sieve for sprouting at nighttime while the chavli and white peas can be soaked separately at night. While cooking, the next day you use them together. The inclusion of all four items heightens the nutritional value as well as enhances the taste of this lovely, healthy Maharashtra’s breakfast recipes.