Misal Pav

Whenever me and my husband go to Nashik (My native place), The next day's morning plan is to visit Hotel 'Tushar' for heavy breakfast and that is 'Misal Pav'. Misal mean mixture. It’s hot, delicious, my tongue is on fire, my nose and eyes water – the true test of a genuine misal. Misal is very famous in the entire state of Maharashtra. Misal is very spicy hot and served with pav (Buns). Misal Pav is certainly not a ‘junk’ food. If made with all the proper ingredients, it’s zesty, healthy, nourishing snack. It's a real fiiler, this is one breakfast you must not miss. There are different types of Misal in Maharashtra like… Kolhapuri Misal, Khandeshi Misal, Puneri Misal, Mamledar Misal, Dahi Misal & so on….
Being Nasikites we love our special Nashikchi Misal. The ingredients, which basically comprise an Usal, Tarri (the spicy curry) and the garnish of sev, chiwda, farsan, onions, fresh coriander arranged in three layers and served with a wedge of lemon. Basically It is very spicy, so you can have curd with it. In Winter or Rainy Days this is our popular Brunch on Sunday. Old people says that if you are suffering from cold, you have to eat this hot & spicy Misal as a Medicine.




Ingredients
For Usal
Matki (Moth beans) - 1 cup
Chopped onion - 1 medium
Red chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Goda masala (or garam Masala) - 1 Teaspoon
Salt to taste
Tempering -
Oil - 1 Table spoon
Mustard seeds (Rai) - 1/2 tea spoon
Turmeric Powder - 1 Teaspoon
Asafetida powder - 1 Pinch

For Tarri
Sliced onion - 1 medium
Chopped tomato - 1 small
Garlic cloves - 5-6
Ginger - 1 inch
Grated dry coconut - 3 table spoon
Red chilly powder - 1 table spoon
Kala masala (Garam masala) powder - 2 tea spoon
Kanda lasun masala - 1 tea spoon (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
Sugar - 1/2 tea spoon
Oil - 5 table spoon
Salt to taste

For Garnishing
Farasan - 1 Cup
Thick Sev - 1 Cup
Finely chopped onion - 1 Mediun
Chopped Coriander leaves - 3 table spoon
Lemon - 1

Procedure

For Usal
Wash Matki and keep it in a large bowl. Add 2 cups of water and cover it with lead. Soak the seeds for about 10 hours. Then drain out water, rinse it with fresh water and again drain it. Now transfer it to a sprout maker or else tie it tightly in a smooth cotton cloth for 8- 10 hrs.
In a kadai heat oil, put mustard seeds, turmeric powder. Add chopped onion and saute it for two minutes. Add sprouted matki, red chilly powder, goda masala and salt. Pour some water and after kepping lead cook it for some time. Usal is ready.

For Tarri
Fry onion, coconut, garlic, ginger and tomato in little oil separately. Cool it for some time. Grind to a fine paste in mixer. Now in another pan, heat oil then add sugar (for the red oily layer on gravy), Turmeric powder, red chilly powder and immediately add grinded paste, kala masala , kanda lasun masala and salt. Saute it for 2 minutes . Now you will feel nice aroma. Pour 3 cups of hot water so that taste of the gravy will remain same . Bring it to boil for 2 minutes. The Tarri is ready. ( In some places of Maharashtra it is called as Kat, Rassa or Sample)

Serving Misal Pav
Original method of serving Misal is Take a Large Bowl, Add 2 table spoon matki usal, Pour tarri on it. Then add 2 table spoon of farsan, 2 table spoon Sev (in some areas adds one layer of kande pohe), 1 Table spoon chopped onion, Chopped coriander, a wedge of lemon & fresh curd. Serve it with Pav.
But when we make Misal at home I generally prefer to give every thing in separate bowls (as shown in picture), so that every one can mix all the items according to their tastes.



This is for "Sunday Snacks - Hot n Spicy"

and to Trupti's "'Winter Treat Event '