My first recipe for CHAAT-O-MANIA fortnight is Misal Pav. Voted as the world’s tastiest veg snack, Misal pav is one among those dishes that will leave you wanting for more and more.  

The moment i hear the word ‘spicy’ the first dish that comes to my mind is the Maharashtrian Misal. Simply because it tastes the best when it is spicy. When the dash of spice hits your palate, you will be left with tears of joy…literally 😉 

Being married to a guy who is brought up in North Karnataka, I was introduced to the flavours of a variety of maharashtrian food. Sabudana Vada, Sabudana Khichdi, vada pav and of course Misal pav. My husband’s crazy love for all these tasty snacks, made me try these recipes at home. It’s not only more exciting to make it at home but it is also a lot tastier. 

There are different variations of misal – Puneri misal, Kolhapuri misal, Nashik Misal, Dahi misal, Khandeshi Misal, Nagpuri misal, Kalya masalachi Misal…each one with a little variation and one common ingredient- The sprouted Moth beans (Matki).

INGREDIENTS:

Sprouted Moth Beans / Matki – 2 cups

Onion – 1 chopped roughly

Tomatoes – 1 

chopped roughly

Spice mix for the kat(curry):

Garlic – 3 to 4 cloves

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Bay leaf – 1

Cumin seeds / cumin powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – tsp

Cloves – 4

Cinnamon stick – 1 inch

Peppercorns – ½ to 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 2 tsp

Red chilli powder – 2-3 tsp

Asofoetida – a pinch

Salt – as per taste

TEMPERING, GARNISHING & SERVING

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Onions – 1 finely chopped

Tomatoes – 1 finely chopped

Cilantro / coriander leaves – finely chopped

Sev

Farsan / chivda*

Lemon – few pieces while serving

Pav bread / bread slices

METHOD: 

Soak the matki beans overnight in enough water. Drain the water and tie it in a muslin / cheese cloth and allow it to sprout. This should take 6-7 hours.

Once the moth beans sprout, pressure cook them for not more than 2 whistles.

In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil, add mustard seeds and asofoetida. Then add the  cooked sprouted bean and mix well. To this add turmeric powder and salt. Add a little water ( about half a cup and allow it to boil well for sometime) 

Now the Matki is ready ! Let’s proceed to make the Kat (curry).

For the Kat grind the below ingredients to a coarse powder:

Garlic – 3 to 4 cloves

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Bay leaf – 1

Cumin seeds / cumin powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – tsp

Cloves – 4

Cinnamon stick – 1 inch

Peppercorns – ½ to 1 tsp

In a wide bottom pan, heat 5 tbsp of oil and add the above ground mixture. Saute till you get a nice aroma of the spices. Then add the onions and saute till translucent. Now add the chopped tomatoes and saute for sometime. At this point add the grated coconut, mix well and cook till the tomatoes start leaving oil. Keep it aside and allow it to cool.

Once the mixture is cooled, grind it into a fine paste but adding 1 – 2 cups of water.

In a pan, heat a little oil, add the ground mixture, turmeric, red chilli powder, tamarind paste and salt. Mix well and allow it to boil for about 15 minutes.

Now your Kat is ready ! 🙂

For garnishing and serving. Keep the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, sev and pav bread ready.

*I did not have the farsan / chivda ready so havent used it, its optional but definitely adds to the flavor.

Now, in a deep dish, add a serving spoon full of the cooked and readied matki mix

Then a spoonful of the Kat (adjust the quantity as per your preference). 

Garnish with onions, tomatoes, cilantro and lemon.

Serve piping hot with Pav bread or enjoy the spicy misal as it is 🙂