There are several 'must-dos' in the city that never sleeps. You must take a stroll around Marine Drive or the Queen's necklace, you must pass by the house /bungalow of your favourite star, you must spend an evening eating out in Juhu-chowpatty and finally, you must try out Mumbai's Misal Pav. The city's rich array of street food is every foodie's dream come true; flavourful, wholesome and oh-so decadent. From pillowy vada pavs to buttery pav bhaji, Maharashtra's love affair with the Pav has caught the fancy of many a food lovers for several centuries. The humble Misal pav happens to be a proud member of this illustrious family of Pav-based street foods of Maharashtra.
What is Misal? How To Make it?
Misal is a popular delicacy, hailing from Maharashtra. The dish is popular in parts of Gujarat too. Misal is a spicy flavourful curry made of moth beans, or simply misal. The curry is made of a whole lot of eclectic spices, onion, garlic, ginger and chillies. The masaledaar preparation is then topped with boiled potatoes, chiwda, sev, chopped onions, coriander, green chillies and served with a dash of lemon. The spicy and thick mixture of the sprouted lentils is enjoyed with pav or breads toasted with butter. Misal pav is a common breakfast or evening snack in Maharashtrian households. However you can enjoy the dish as part of your mains too. Misal has two parts - the thick spicy sprouted mixture is called Ussal while the watery gravy is called Rassa. In absence of Moth beans, one can also use moong beans.
There are several local takes on the preparation of Misal too. Some are spicy, some low on the chilly factor, some relatively more plain than their loaded counterparts. Kalya Masalyachi Misal(Misal loaded with pungent black pepper), Shev-misal (Misal topped with sev) and Dahi (yoghurt) Misal are some of the many preparations of Misal. Puneri Misal, Kolhapuri Misal, Nashik Misal, Khandeshi Misal and Nagpuri Misal are some popular local variants across the state. Almost every local eatery, small or big, has Misal Pav as an indispensable part of their menu. You can ask them to tone down the spicy content of the mixture according to your palate. Traditionaly Misal is supposed to be spicy enough to make your brows sweat. The spice is perfectly balanced with a soft and butter toasted Pav.
Here's the recipe of the much loved Maharashtrian curry that is cooked with a fiery melange of potatoes, freshly made spice paste and sprouted beans by Amarendra Mulye, that you can try at home. This Maharashtrian delight is sure to leave you craving for more.