Misal Pav

Ingredients

• 2 cups mixed sprouted moth beans
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp misal/goda masala
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 8 pav buns
• Farsan (sev) for topping
• Oil, lemon, coriander, salt

Method

1. Pressure cook the sprouted moth beans with turmeric, salt and enough water to cover them, for 3-4 whistles, until they're tender but still hold their shape rather than turning mushy. Keep the cooking liquid — it becomes part of the curry.
2. Heat oil in a pan, sauté the onion until deep golden-brown (this depth of colour builds the base flavour), then add the ginger-garlic paste and cook briefly until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft and broken down.
3. Stir in the misal or goda masala and cook for a minute to release its aroma, then add the cooked sprouts along with their reserved stock. Simmer for 10-15 minutes into a thin, fiery, spiced curry known as usal — it should be noticeably more liquid than a typical vegetable curry.
4. Ladle the hot usal into individual bowls just before serving (not in advance, since the sev goes soggy if it sits). Top each bowl generously with sev (crispy gram flour noodles), chopped raw onion, coriander and a squeeze of lemon.
5. Serve immediately alongside toasted pav, so the crunchy sev topping stays crisp against the hot, spicy curry underneath.