Misal Pav

Misal pav is the recipe for everyone who loves lentils and spicy Indian food. It’s made by simmering sprouted lentils with some aromatics, tomatoes, and spices, and topped off with a variety of crunchy snacks that make the texture amazing!

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In my family we don’t just eat spicy food because we like the way it tastes. We eat it because it’s FUN. It’s fun to pant and laugh at each other and compare spice tolerances (not to brag but I’m pretty well known for mine) so that’s what goes down with something as spicy as misal pav. 

I don’t sprout my lentils nearly enough as I’d like to but it’s really easy! So not only are we making one of the spiciest street foods out there but also one of the most fiber-rich. I’ve long adored pav bhaji but misal pav was a treat that I usually only got to enjoy if one of my mom’s friends made it, so it was at the top of my to-try list when I visited Mumbai last month.

Misal is made with moth beans or matki dal, which looked really similar to cow peas at the market near me so that’s what I got! I think they are the same but feel free to tell me if I’m wrong haha. After simmering the sprouts for 10-15 minutes, you combine them with peas, goda masala (which I made a bit of a simplified version of, included in the recipe card), and plenty of kashmiri chili powder. Some versions have the sprouts blended up, but I like them whole for their texture. And speaking of texture, one of the hallmarks of misal pav has to be all the toppings! I didn’t have the perfect farsan/snack mix on hand, so I improvised with some sev, toasted peanuts, and crushed bhakarvadis. Literally everything I could want from a meal!

Misal Pav

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Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup moth beans or cow peas
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp salt

goda masala (ish)

  • 2 tbsp grated coconut
  • 2 tsp white sesame seeds
  • 2 dried red chilis
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 4 black peppercorns
  • ¼ tsp ground cardamom (or 2 green cardamom pods)
  • 2 tsp ground coriander (or 1 tbsp coriander seeds)

misal

  • 1 tbsp avocado oil or another neutral oil
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 inch ginger, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • 2 tbsp goda masala
  • 1 tsp jaggery
  • salt to taste
  • water as needed

Instructions
 

  • Rinse 1 cup of moth beans and soak in plenty of water for 6 hours. Drain, pat dry, cover, and let them sprout for 12-24 hours. Once they have little white tails, you can place in the fridge until ready to cook.
  • In a pot, add sprouts, 2 cups of water, turmeric, and salt. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove the cooked sprouts from the pot and set aside.
  • Prepare the goda masala. (I had ground versions of some spices and wanted to use what I had, so it’s flexible! Use what you have.) In a pan over medium heat, dry roast coconut, sesame seeds, dried chilis, cloves, cinnamon, and black peppercorns. If using cardamom pods and coriander seeds, add those as well. Stir occasionally and make sure the coconut and spices do not burn. Cool off once you start sensing the aromas of the spices. Then use a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to grind all the spices.
  • In the same pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, allowing them to sputter for a minute. Add onion and cook until softened and more translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add ginger and garlic, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.
  • Add tomatoes and a big pinch of salt. Cook until the tomato juices have mostly evaporated, about 5-6 minutes. Add about a third of the cooked sprouts. Remove the pot from heat and let it cool off a little before processing its contents with about half a cup of water.
  • Pour the gravy back into the pot, followed by kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, and the goda masala. Stir the spices in for a minute before adding the rest of the sprouts and a cup of water, plus more if needed – the texture should be similar to dal. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust with jaggery and salt.
  • Top with some chopped onions, cilantro, and crunchy snacks of your choice! I used sev, toasted peanuts, and bhakarvadis.
Keyword Indian recipes, Indian street food, lentils

If you like this classic Maharashtrian street food, you must try

Pav Bhaji

Pani Puri

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