Misal Pao

This is a really delicious way to get nutritious ingredients in your system.
The main star here is Mothbeans. Remember, we worked with them earlier? Here's a link to refresh your memory.
Now that you know what I am talking about, let's get some basic questions answered -

When is this Misal Pao eaten?
It's often eaten during breakfast but also as a snack in the evenings!

Where does this dish originate from?
Misal Pao is very popular in the state of Maharashtra in India where many people are vegetarians. This dish provides them with essential nutrients and loads of proteins. Most love to eat it for breakfast but many more love to eat it as an evening snack ( instead of dinner).

Is it gluten-free?
Yes. If you leave out the accompanying Pao (bread), this dish is gluten-free. Make sure you choose gluten free garnishes (that are listed below).

Is it vegan?
Yes, if you use oil instead of ghee it is vegan.

Where can I find mothbeans?
At any Indian or Asian store.

How do I  germinate these beans?
Details provided in my earlier post. Link is here.

Is it the same recipe as the link provided?
No. The recipe for misal is different. You only follow the instructions in the earlier link to learn about germination.

Now that I have answered some common queries, let's get working on this delicacy!

Ingredients

For the curry -

3 teacups germinated mothbeans

Germinated Mothbeans

1 green chili finely chopped
6-7 curry leaves (fresh or dried based on availability)
2 mid sized potatoes (chopped into small blocks)
2 big tomato chopped
1 tablespoon desiccated coconut
1 big onion diced
3 cloves garlic chopped finely
1 tablespoon peanuts (omit if you have an allergy)
1 tablespoon cashewnuts (chopped, again omit if you are allergic)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon ajwain seeds - helps with digestion
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder - helps with digestion
1/4 teaspoon tamarind pulp dissolved in 2 tablespoons warm water
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil (sunflower/olive). To make it richer in flavour, you can also use ghee if you aren't following a vegan diet.
1.5 teaspoon Goda masala* (a special Maharashtrian powder mix). If you don't have this, use garam masala. But Goda masala does add a special kind of flavour to this dish so try and source it from your Indian store.

* If you prefer less pungent, go with 1 teaspoon. My family prefers mild so I go with 1 teaspoon. It's really easy to make your own batch of goda masala. If you would like me to cover it, leave me a message below.


For Garnish -
1 tomato chopped up
1/2 onion finely chopped
3 stalks coriander leaves finely chopped
1/2 lime
Regular shev
Chiwda (available at Indian stores) - look at the picture and note below.

The packet on the left is Chiwda. Chiwda is flattened rice (pohe) that's stir-fried with spices and nuts. It's frequently used as a snack or as topping in dishes like this Misal.
To the right is Shev (spiced gramflour noodles) which as you can see is from Haldiram's.

It's always a good idea to check the packaging labels of anything you want to buy and to make sure you are not allergic to any of the ingredients (gluten, nuts etc) before you use the contents.
Store bought chiwda does have nuts and raisins so best to avoid it if you are allergic. For crunch, you can crush (gluten-free and nut-free) crackers and use instead of chiwda.



Method for curry -
In a big deep bottomed vessel, add oil/ghee.

Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ajwain, fennel seeds, asafoetida, green chili and curry leaves.

Once they sizzle, add the onion and garlic.

Fry well till the onion turns translucent.

Add the cashewnuts and peanuts if using.

Keep stir frying.

Add the potato blocks, moth beans and also turmeric powder & goda /garam masala

Stir fry on low.

Add the chopped tomatoes, coconut and moth beans.

Mix well.

Add 10 cups  hot water along with tamarind and salt.

Cover and allow to boil.

Once it boils, allow to simmer for 25 minutes. Keep the curry watery. Add water if required.

In the mean time, get your garnish ready.

Once the beans and potatoes are cooked, taste.

Adjust seasoning if you need more salt.

Now take soup bowls and add two ladles of this curry.

Make sure you have added in moth beans and potatoes as well.

On top of this, sprinkle some shev and then farsan.

Top it with chopped tomatoes, chopped onions and coriander leaves.

Squeeze some lime juice on top and serve on its own (if gluten-free diet) or with pao (buns).

Enjoy.

Note - Any curry that's leftover can be refrigerated once it cools down and used within the next 3 days.

For any questions/ suggestions,  do use the comment form below.

Thank you.