Misal Pav Recipe

a plate served with misal, pav and chopped onions

Learn how to make traditional and authentic Maharashtrian Misal Pav at home using homemade Kolhapuri-style masala. This popular street food features a spicy and flavorful sprouts curry (known as misal) served with buttery pav (bread rolls) and topped with crunchy farsan, chopped onions, and a squeeze of lemon. It's a wholesome, and naturally vegan dish that's perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner.

Course Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Indian, kolhapuri, Maharashtrian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 408.3kcal

Author Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

Ingredients

To make Misal masala

1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 cardamom pod
1 inch cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon peppercorns
5 cloves
6 cloves garlic
½ inch ginger
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon black or white sesame seeds
1 cup roughly chopped onion
½ cup coconut chunks
⅓ cup water for grinding

To cook the sprouts

2 cups sprouts used green and brown
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
5 cups water

To make the Tarri

3 tablespoon oil
1 cup onion finely chopped
1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chilly powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon Kolhapuri Kanda Lasoon Masala
Boiled sprouts water/stock
¼ cup cilantro
salt

To make Matki chi Bhaji

1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2-3 green chillies
cooked sprouts
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilly powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon Kolhapuri Kanda Lasoon Masala
salt
¼ cup cilantro finely chopped

To make the potato bhaji

3 boiled potatoes
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
5-6 curry leaves
3 green chillies
½ cup onions chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
salt

Other ingredients

12 Pav or water rolls
2 cups Misal farsan
¼ cup onions finely chopped
2 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

To make Misal masala

Roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom pod, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and cinnamon in oil for 2 minutes on low to medium flame. Chef Tip - They should just be lightly roasted and need not change color.
Transfer to a plate.
In the same pan, roast garlic, ginger, onion and coconut shreds. Add a teaspoon of more oil if needed. Roast for 4 minutes. Chef Tip - You can also use a grill pan here.
Transfer to the same plate. Allow it to cool down completely.
Then transfer all the contents to a blender jar.
Grind it to a smooth paste by adding water gradually. Keep this misal vatan aside for now.

To cook the sprouts

Add water, turmeric powder and sprouts to a pan. Mix, cover and cook it for 15 minutes or till the sprouts are almost done, on medium flame.
Strain and reserve the water. That will be used to make the Tarri. Keep the cooked sprouts aside for now.

To make the Tarri

Heat oil in the pan and fry the onions till they turn light golden brown. This could take 4-5 minutes on medium flame.
Lower the flame and then add the Kolhapuri Kanda Lasoon masala, Kashmiri red chilly powder and turmeric powder. Mix and sauté for 2 minutes.
Now add the ground paste along with salt. Mix and cook till the masalas are all well cooked. It could take 12-15 minutes on medium flame. Chef Tip - Add little hot water if the mixture gets too dry. Keep stirring the masala and don't forget to scrape the sides of the pan as it .
Then add the sprouts water. I got 3.5 cups of stock. Mix and adjust the consistency as needed. I added an additional cup of water. It should be thin pouring consistency. Ensure there are no lumps.
Cook this Tarri for 20 minutes or till the oil floats on top, on medium flame. There is no need to cover the pan. Check and add salt if needed.
Then add chopped cilantro and give it a good mix. Tarri is now ready. You can transfer to a large bowl and keep it aside.

To make Matki chi Bhaji

Heat oil in a pan and temper mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the minced green chillies.
Then add the cooked spouts.
Followed by turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilly powder, Kolhapuri kanda lasoon masala and salt.
Mix and cook this for 5-6 minutes. Keep stirring at intervals. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Matki chi bhaji is ready. Transfer to a bowl and keep it aside.

To make the potato bhaji

Boil, peel and mash or grate 3 potatoes.
Heat oil in the same pan. Temper mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and green chillies.
Then add onions and saute till they turn translucent.
Now add the mashed potatoes along with salt and turmeric powder.
Mix and cook for 4-5 minutes. Keep mashing some potatoes while cooking.
Garnish with chopped cilantro. Mix and take it off the flame. Transfer to another bowl.

To assemble the misal pav

In a small plate, add a portion of potato bhaji.
Then add the matki chi bhaji on top.
Top with a generous helping of farsan.
Pour the tarri on top.
Garnish with chopped onions and cilantro.
Add some lemon juice on top and serve with pav.

Video

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Notes

One way to cut down on cooking time when making Kolhapuri Misal Pav is to combine the sprouts curry (usal) and the tarri (spicy rassa) into one dish instead of preparing them separately. You can also skip the separate potato bhaji and simply add boiled, cubed potatoes directly into the curry. This not only reduces cooking steps but also saves on clean-up. To speed things up, consider using multiple pans and cook different elements simultaneously. These small adjustments can help you enjoy an authentic Misal Pav without spending hours in the kitchen.

Nutrition