← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 300 g sprouted moth beans (matki), or mixed sprouts
• ¼ tsp Ground turmeric
• ½ tsp Salt
• 500 ml water, for the sprouts
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 3 cm piece Ginger, chopped
• 3 tbsp dried coconut (kopra), grated
• 1 Tomato, chopped
• 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 sprig Curry leaves
• 1 pinch Asafoetida (hing) (optional)
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• ¼ tsp Ground turmeric
• 1 tsp Ground coriander
• 1½ tsp goda masala or garam masala
• 1 tsp Jaggery (gur)
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 800 ml hot water
• 100 g farsan (spicy fried mix) or thick sev
• 1 Red onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp Coriander (cilantro), chopped
• 1 Lemon, cut into wedges
• 8 pav or soft dinner rolls
• 2 tbsp butter, for toasting the pav

Method

1. Cook the sprouts with the turmeric, salt and water for 8–10 min, until tender but still holding their shape. Keep the cooking water.
2. For the masala paste, heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the onion for 5 min until golden. Add the garlic, ginger and coconut and cook for 3 min until the coconut smells toasty, then add the tomato for 2 min. Cool and blend to a smooth paste with a splash of water.
3. Heat the 3 tbsp oil in a large pan. Add the mustard seeds and, when they pop, the cumin, curry leaves and asafoetida. Lower the heat and stir in the chilli powder, turmeric, coriander and garam masala for 30 seconds.
4. Add the masala paste and fry for 5 min, until the oil separates; that red oil on top, the “tarri”, is what makes misal.
5. Add the cooked sprouts with their water, the hot water, jaggery and salt. Simmer for 15 min to a thin, spicy curry with plenty of gravy.
6. Toast the pav in butter on a hot pan. Ladle the misal into bowls, top generously with farsan, onion and coriander, and serve with lemon wedges and the pav.

Tips

• To sprout moth beans, soak them overnight, drain, and leave them covered in a warm spot for a day or two until they grow short tails.
• Some farsan and most asafoetida contain wheat.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Hebbar's Kitchen Ministry of Curry Archana's Kitchen