Misal pav has three parts: the usal (cooked sprouted beans), the kat (a thin, fiery masala gravy poured over), and the toppings (crunchy farsan, raw onion, cilantro, lime). It's assembled at the table so every bite has heat, crunch and freshness. Adjust the chili to your tolerance — traditional Kolhapuri misal is serious.
Ingredients
- 2 cups mixed sprouted beans (moth/moong)
- 2 onions · 3 tomatoes · 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tbsp misal/goda masala (or garam masala + red chili)
- 1 tsp turmeric · 1 tsp cumin seeds · 3 tbsp oil
- Topping: farsan/sev, chopped onion, cilantro, lime
- Pav (soft rolls) · butter · salt
Method
- Boil the sprouted beans with a little salt and turmeric until just tender. This is your usal base.
- For the kat (gravy), heat oil, crackle cumin, then fry the onion until deep golden. Add ginger-garlic paste, then the tomatoes and misal masala, and cook until the oil separates.
- Blend the masala smooth if you like, then loosen with water into a thin, spicy, deep-red gravy. Simmer 10 minutes and taste for salt and heat.
- Stir some of the gravy into the cooked beans; keep the rest to pour over at serving.
- To serve: ladle usal into bowls, pour over extra kat, then top generously with farsan, raw chopped onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Butter and toast the pav and serve alongside for dipping.
🔥 Add the farsan last
The crunchy farsan (fried gram-flour mix) goes on right before eating — pile it on at the table so it stays crisp against the hot gravy. Add it too early and it turns soggy.