Misal Pav (Spicy Sprouted Lentil Curry with Bread)
A fiery Maharashtrian street food classic: spiced sprouted moth beans in a thin, tangy curry topped with farsan, onions, and lemon. Served with soft pav bread.
मिसळ पाव
Misal pav is Maharashtra's answer to the question of what a perfect breakfast looks like. It is a layered bowl of controlled chaos: sprouted moth beans simmered in a fiery, tangy gravy called kat or rassa, topped with a crunchy shower of farsan (savory mix), diced onions, chopped cilantro, and a generous squeeze of lemon. The soft, buttered pav on the side is used to scoop and mop, tempering the heat with every bite. It is loud, bold, and unapologetically spicy. It is also one of the most protein-packed breakfasts in all of Indian cuisine.
Ingredients
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Ingredients
Method
Cook sprouts
Boil sprouted moth beans for 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
Make the usal
Heat oil, pop mustard seeds and cumin seeds, add curry leaves. Add onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, chili powder, and goda masala.
Simmer the usal
Add cooked sprouts, salt, water, and jaggery. Simmer 10 minutes for the usal.
Prepare the kat
Cook onion, tomatoes, garlic, and dried red chilies until soft. Add coconut. Blend with tamarind paste and water into a smooth paste.
Simmer the kat
Simmer the blended kat with additional water for 8 to 10 minutes until thin and fiery red.
Toast the pav
Toast pav in butter until golden on cut sides.
Assemble and serve
Place usal in bowls, ladle hot kat over the top. Finish with farsan, chopped onions, cilantro, and a lemon wedge. Serve with buttered pav.
Tips for Success
Fresh sprouts matter
Use freshly sprouted moth beans for the best texture. Canned or old sprouts will be mushy and lack the characteristic bite.
Kat should be thin
The kat is meant to be a fiery, thin gravy, not a thick sauce. It should pour easily over the usal and soak into the farsan.
Layer textures
The magic of misal is in the contrast: soft sprouts, crunchy farsan, spicy kat, buttery pav. Serve immediately so the farsan stays crispy.
Nutrition
Per serving (approximate)
Nutrition values are approximate and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.
Misal Pav (Spicy Sprouted Lentil Curry with Bread)
A fiery Maharashtrian street food classic: spiced sprouted moth beans in a thin, tangy curry topped with farsan, onions, and lemon. Served with soft pav bread.
Nutrition values are approximate and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.
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