I often make pav bhaji for weekend snack/early dinner. When I was looking at other street foods from Maharashtra I stumbled upon the recipe for Misal Pav and I was sold just by its name. I had to try but since I didn’t have the white peas the original recipe called for, I substituted it with soybean (a healthier version). Misal in Marathi (the language spoken in Maharashtra, India) means “mixture” and often interchangeably used as Usal referring to gravy cooked with sprouted beans or white beans(vatana). To make Misal however we need to first make the usal (a soybean gravy in this recipe) and then mix it with a red curry paste topped with chopped onions and farsan (I used fine sev as it was readily available in my pantry).

Just like how I managed to personalize with the ingredients that I had, many of the street foods offer very flexible workarounds making an easy unique recipe appetizing and tantalizing even the boring taste buds. But be aware as these recipes are not for people who can’t stand the sight of a chilli, they are for those brave hearted ones who can shriek and not flinch at the slightest tear that spicy food can cause them.

Step-by-Step Pictorial:

Heat oil in a pan, add ginger-garlic paste, chopped onions and saute till the onions turn translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and cook for a minute.

Then add shredded coconut and saute. Switch off the flame and let the mixture cool. Once cool to touch, grind the mixture to a smooth paste. Heat oil again, add the ground paste and saute for about 5 minutes.

Now add salt, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, cinnamon-clove powder, turmeric powder and mix well. Add water and cook until the oil floats on top about 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer into a bowl and keep aside. This is the red curry paste.

To make Usal: heat oil in a pan, add ginger-garlic paste, cooked soybean or any kind of bean. Add boiled potatoes, salt, turmeric powder, asafoetida/hing, cinnamon-clove powder, garam masala powder, lime juice and mix well.

Cook until the water is well absorbed and the bean mixture thickens. Switch off the flame. When ready to serve, spoon a ladle full of usal or bean mixture in a bowl, add red curry paste on top of it, followed by chopped onions, chopped coriander leaves, fine sev. Serve hot with pav or toasted buns and slice of lemon. Enjoy!!!

Misal Pav

Ingredients

- Olive oil — 2 Tbsp
- Ginger-garlic Paste — 1 Tbsp
- Chopped Onions — 1 cup
- Chopped Tomatoes — 1 cup
- Grated Coconut — 1/2 cup
- Red Chilli Powder — 1 tsp
- Cumin Powder — 1 tsp
- Coriander Powder — 1 1/2 tsp
- Garam Masala Powder — 1 tsp
- Cinnamon-Clove Powder — 1/2 tsp
- Water — 2 to 3 cups (adjust as needed)
- Salt — to taste

For Usal

- Oil — 1 Tbsp
- Ginger-garlic Paste — 1 tsp
- Asafetida — 1/2 tsp
- Soybeans (soaked overnight and pressure cooked) — 2 cups
- Boiled Potatoes — 1 cup
- Turmeric Powder — 1/2 tsp
- Garam Masala Powder — 1 tsp
- Cinnamon-Clove Powder — 1/2 tsp
- Lime Juice — juice of 1 lime
- Water — as needed
- Salt — to taste

For Garnishing

Onions — 1 medium (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves — 1/2 cup (finely chopped)
Fine Sev or farsan or Chivda — as needed

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan, add ginger-garlic paste, chopped onions and saute till the onions turn translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and cook for a minute. Then add shredded coconut and saute. Switch off the flame and let the mixture cool. Once cool to touch, grind the mixture to a smooth paste. Heat oil again, add the ground paste and saute for about 5 minutes.
2. Then add shredded coconut and saute. Switch off the flame and let the mixture cool. Once cool to touch, grind the mixture to a smooth paste. Heat oil again, add the ground paste and saute for about 5 minutes. Now add salt, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, cinnamon-clove powder, turmeric powder and mix well. Add water and cook until the oil floats on top about 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer into a bowl and keep aside. This is the red curry paste.

Method for making Usal

Heat oil in a pan, add ginger-garlic paste, cooked soybean or any kind of bean. Add boiled potatoes, salt, turmeric powder, asafetida/hing, cinnamon-clove powder, garam masala powder, lime juice and mix well. Cook until the water is well absorbed and the bean mixture thickens. Switch off the flame. When ready to serve, spoon a ladle full of usal or bean mixture in a bowl, add red curry paste on top of it, followed by chopped onions, chopped coriander leaves, fine sev. Serve hot with pav or toasted buns and slice of lemon. Enjoy!!!