History

Misal originated in the Pune-Nashik belt as a working-class breakfast in the early 20th century, built around sprouted moth-bean curry with crunchy farsan on top. Mumbai adopted the pav-served version through the mill-worker era of the early 1900s, and today the city's Maharashtrian breakfast counters and South Bombay rooms still serve it daily with a wedge of lime and chopped onion.

Common allergens: Gluten, Nightshade

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 30 minTotal PT12H (overnight sprouting)Difficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 200g mixed sprouts (matki/moth, mung, chickpea)
  • 2 medium onions, chopped fine
  • 3 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • 2 tablespoons misal masala (or garam masala)
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons coconut, grated
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 200g farsan (sev, chivda, fried lentils mix)
  • 8 pavs, buttered and toasted
  • Lime wedges, chopped onion and coriander for serving

Method

  1. Soak mixed lentils overnight, drain, then sprout in a damp cloth 24 hours.
  2. Boil sprouts in salted water 15 minutes until tender. Reserve cooking liquid.
  3. Dry-roast grated coconut and 1 chopped onion until golden, blend to paste.
  4. Heat oil, fry remaining onion until golden. Add ginger garlic paste, cook 1 minute.
  5. Add tomato, cook 5 minutes. Add the coconut-onion paste, misal masala, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Cook 3 minutes.
  6. Add sprouts and 300ml cooking liquid. Simmer 10 minutes.
  7. Serve in bowls topped with farsan, raw chopped onion, coriander and lime. Buttered pav on the side.

Tip from the editors. Mumbai-style misal runs medium-spiced; for the Kolhapuri version add a kat (thin, fiery red broth) on the side and pour into the curry at the table.

Where to eat misal pav

Misal pav in Mumbai

Sardar Pav Bhaji ★ 4.6

Street food$tardeoDaily 12:00-00:00

Sardar charges INR 150 for the canonical Mumbai pav bhaji. Cheese version runs INR 200; counter service is faster than table service at busy lunch hours.

Try: Pav bhaji

Order: Pav bhaji with extra butter and a sweet lassi.

Tip: Counter service is fastest; ask for the extra-butter version.

166-A Tardeo Main Road Junction, Tardeo, Mumbai 400034

Soam ★ 4.1

Gujarati and Maharashtrian$$chowpattyDaily 11:30-22:30

Soam is opposite babulnath temple, away from chowpatty's tourist bhel carts; pinki dixit cooks the home-style gujarati menu locals send friends to find.

Why locals love it: Opposite Babulnath Temple, away from Chowpatty's tourist bhel carts; Pinki Dixit cooks the home-style Gujarati menu locals send friends to find.

Tip: Saat dana khichdi is the dish to order. Cash and card both accepted.

Sadguru Sadan, Ground Floor, Babulnath Road, Chowpatty, Mumbai 400007

Cream Centre ★ 4.2

Indian$$chowpattyDaily 11:30-23:30

Cream Centre opened at Chowpatty Seaface in 1958 as a vegetarian sweets and snacks counter. The channa bhatura is the canonical dish; the hot fudge sundae.

Signature: Channa bhatura, Sizzler, Hot fudge sundae

Order: Channa bhatura with a Spanish omelette sizzler and a hot fudge sundae.

Tip: Family-friendly with a high-chair stock; weekday lunches are quietest.

25/B Chowpatty Seaface, Chowpatty, Girgaon, Mumbai 400007

More cities are in research. Want misal pav covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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