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Misal Pav – Spicy Mixed Beans Curry Served With Bread

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Misal Pav - Spicy Mixed Beans Curry Served With Bread.

Misal Pav – traditional Maharashtrian dish which is also popular among the Mumbai street food. There are different variations of misal based on the origin of cities of Maharashtra( state of West India) like Kohlapuri misal, Puneri misal, Nashik misal and so on. Some misal are served with poha while some with farsan. Basic concept is a spicy, watery curry made from sprouted mixed beans called misal served with pav or bread. It is served along with tomato chutney, chopped onions and ‘farsan’ (Indian snack mix). Usually people mix these two, misal and chutney according to their taste and requirement. Traditionally, only sprouted Matki (moth beans) are used to make misal. But I like to use mixed beans instead of just the moth beans.

Misal Pav - Spicy Mixed Beans Curry Served With Bread.

This misal recipe is my version which I have been making from long time and its my family favorite. I drool over this misal pav a lot. Its perfectly spiced and how normally everyone prefers. I usually get mixed beans pack from grocery store but you can also mix up your own if you have variety of beans on hand like moong, matki, black eye beans, black chickpeas, kidney beans and red cow peas . I just find buying mixed bean pack more convenient.

Misal Pav - Spicy Mixed Beans Curry Served With Bread.

Few things to note while making Misal: 

  • Making misal requires soaking and sprouting so plan a day or 2 in advance. I normally soak 2 nights before I actually want to make it. Because I live in cold place, so I give 24 hours for sprouting. Best way to sprout is to drain all the water and put soaked beans in an air tight container. Keep it in warm place.
  • I like to put sprouted beans in a mesh colander or stainless steel colander while pressure cooking it. It helps the small beans to hold its shape and not become mushy which is very important for achieving that watery runny consistency of misal. While eating, you need that watery curry so when the pav is dipped in the curry it soaks up all the flavor. So try not to over cook or mash up the beans to avoid thickening of misal, it should hold it shape nicely.

Misal Pav - Spicy Mixed Beans Curry Served With Bread.

You can make chutney in advance and refrigerate it. The quantity of spices in recipe looks more but trust me you need that much to make it perfectly delicious. Just follow the recipe and it will definitely earn you praise. Top it up with farsan and chopped onions and serve with Pav. To make fresh homemade pav checkout my Homemade Laadi Pav recipe.

Misal Pav - Spicy Mixed Beans Curry Served With Bread.

Print Recipe

Misal Pav - Spicy Mixed Beans Curry Served With Bread

Course: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Priyanka

Ingredients

For misal

  • 2 cups mix beans makes 3-4 cups after soaking & sprouting
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1-2 tsp asafoetida
  • 1 tbsp  garlic
  • 1 tsp ginger paste
  • 1 tsp green chilli paste
  • 1 tbsp red chilli powder
  • 2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 3-4 cups water approximately
  • salt to taste
  • coriander to garnish

For chutney

  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 medium tomato chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 inch ginger 
  • 2 green chillies
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tbsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 tbsp cloves powder
  • 1 tbsp amchur powder
  • 1 tbsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp tumeric powder
  • 1 tsp asafoetida
  • salt to taste

Instructions

Preparing sprouts

  • Soaking: Wash all the dry beans and soak it in water for 6-7 hours or overnight. 
  • Sprouting: Put all the soaked beans in an air tight container. Keep it in a warm place for a day or till you see them sprouted.

To make misal 

  • Place sprouted beans in a mesh colander or stainless steel colander that fits in your pressure cooker. On medium heat, let it cook for 3 whistles.
  • Heat some oil in a pan. Add asafoetida, garlic, ginger and green chilli paste and let it cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add cooked beans and water along with turmeric and red chilli powder. Adjust salt to taste and let it boil for 10 minutes.
  • Misal is suppose to have runny consistency so adjust water accordingly.
  • Garnish with coriander.

To make masala paste

  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and saute chopped onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies for 2 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, coconut and let it cook till tomatoes are soften. 
  • Let it cool and blend it to smooth puree.
  • Add remaining oil to same pan. Once its hot, add asafoetida, prepared masala paste, 1/2 cup water and all the dry spices.
  • Let it cook in low flame till oil separates.
  • This masala paste can be made and refrigerated in advance.