Misal Pav is a vibrant meal consisting of a spicy sprouted bean curry topped with crunchy Farsan, crisp red onions, and fresh cilantro that is served with lightly buttered Pav or dinner rolls. The bold flavors of this peppery dish are accentuated with a dash of lemon, packing in an explosion of flavors in every bite.

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My mother makes the best finger-licking authentic Maharashtrian dishes. Not only has she passed on a goldmine of her recipes to me, but I have also been fortunate to try making some of them under her tutelage. I always wanted to learn to make misal pav firsthand from her, and I got that opportunity when she was visiting me this summer.
We made the dish a few times until I was sure that I had learned to make it taste just like hers. This Misal Pav recipe we developed using the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker is quicker and more accessible, and she even approves of this modern cooking technique!
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Misal Pav is one of Maharashtra’s most iconic comfort foods, right up there with Vada Pav and Dabeli. It’s a bold, flavorful dish made with spicy sprouted moth bean curry (matkichi usal), topped with crunchy farsan, onions, and cilantro, and served with soft, buttery rolls.
The curry is simmered in a thin, spiced gravy (kat or rassa) infused with freshly ground ginger, garlic, coconut, and a special misal masala.
Growing up, my mom would make this on rainy days, and the aroma alone could lift anyone’s spirits. Now, it’s one of my favorite protein-packed weeknight dinners; wholesome, nostalgic, and always a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredient Notes
- Math or Moth Beans - These small brown beans used in this recipe are known as Turkish or Dew beans and are readily available in Indian grocery stores. The beans are first soaked in water and then sprouted.
- Aromatics - yellow onion, ginger, and garlic are used in the base of the curry. Although store-bought ginger garlic paste can be used in a pinch, I highly recommend using homemade ginger paste and garlic paste.
- Coconut - dry unsweetened, shredded coconut is often used in Maharashtrian cooking to add nutty flavor and body to the gravy. You can also use unsweetened desiccated coconut or frozen fresh coconut instead.
- Curry Leaves - a must in the tempering as they add citrusy notes and unique aromas to the curry
- Tomato - adds tangy flavor and balances the spices in the curry.
- Spices - Although premixed Misal masala is available in Indian grocery stores, I recommend using homemade spice mix for authentic flavors from freshly ground spices. Hing (asafetida), mustard seeds, red chili powder, turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, garam masala, and salt are just the spices you'll need.
- Buns to Serve – I love using pav from Indian bakeries like Hot Breads since they’re usually unsweetened. When that’s not an option, I go for grocery store rolls with 2% or less sugar—they work great! Potato buns are also a good alternative for this recipe.
How to Make Misal Pav
Step 1 - Blend tomato, chilies, ginger, garlic, and coconut in a blender to make a smooth paste (photos 1 - 2).
Step 2 - Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and heat oil. Add mustard seeds and allow them to pop. This may take 2 to 3 minutes. Add hing, turmeric, curry leaves, fresh coriander leaves, and chopped onions. Saute everything as the onions start to turn translucent, it may take around 3 to 4 minutes. Cook covered to speed up the process (photos 3 - 6).
Step 3 - Next, stir in the spice paste and saute for another minute. Add red chili powder, ground coriander, garam masala, ground cumin, and salt. Mix well. Add sprouted beans and mix well. Add water and give a quick stir. Secure the Instant Pot with the pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook (Hi) for 5 minutes followed by a 10-minute natural pressure release (photos 7 - 10).
Step 4 - Release the remaining pressure by turning the pressure release valve to venting. Open the lid and give a quick stir. Garnish with remaining cilantro (photos 11 - 12).
Serving
Heat a nonstick griddle or pan. Lightly spread butter or ghee on each half of the bun/pav and place them on the pan. Gently pressing them down with a spatula cook both sides until they are heated through. Serve hot pav alongside the misal topped with Farsan, red onions, and cilantro. Here is a tip, serve the farsan on the side so it stays crunchy. I like to serve plain yogurt on the side along with lemon wedges.
To serve this dish as a gluten-free option, simply add lots of diced onion, tomatoes, Farsan, and a few spoonfuls of plain yogurt over the curry and enjoy with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Or serve it over steamed rice for a complete meal.
Tips for Authentic Tasting Misal Pav
- Vadilal brand frozen sprouted moth beans are available in most Indian grocery stores. It comes in handy when you do not have time to sprout the beans at home.
- The traditional Misal recipe has lots of thin gravy also known as “rassa” or "kat" which is used to drench in the soft pillowy pav for each bite. Add more or less water depending on how much gravy you like. You can always add more hot water after the pressure cooking cycle has completed to thin out the gravy.
- Many people love a thin layer of oil known as “Tarri” or “Tavang” on the gravy. Oil called for in this recipe is on the medium side, but feel free to add more or less. More oil will give a layer of the “tarri” to the final dish.
- I love using my mom’s garam masala in this recipe and I use 2 tablespoons in this recipe. Any Garam masala will work in this recipe, start with 1 teaspoon and adjust as per your taste. You can also use store-bought Misal Masala, start with 1 tablespoon as it tends to be on the spicier side, and add more as needed.
Variations
- Substitute half of the sprouted moth beans with mung beans.
- You can skip the green chilies to make the curry mild or add more for a spicier curry.
- You can add only 2 cups of water while pressure cooking the beans, and then add warm water as needed to bring the curry to your desired consistency.
- Although sprouted beans are traditionally used in this recipe, in a pinch, you can use soaked and unsprouted beans. Use the same pressure cooking time for soaked beans. To use dry moth beans, increase the pressure cooking time to 15 minutes.
How to sprout moth beans
Sprouting beans at home is easy. It just needs a bit of planning. Check out this post on sprouting beans.
Instant Pot yogurt mode is also a good option for sprouting. Let me explain how to sprout beans using the Instant Pot -
- Rinse 1 cup of Moth beans and soak in 3 cups of warm filtered water for 8 hours or overnight.
- Drain out all the water using a colander, wire mesh basket, or silicone basket.
- Place the basket in the Instant Pot, close the lid, and set the Instant Pot to Yogurt mode for 24 to 36 hours.
Note - 1 cup of dry moth beans will make 2.5 cups of sprouted beans
Stove Top Misal
Don't have an Instant Pot? No worries, here is how you can make the Misal on the stovetop:
1. Heat oil in a medium pot over high heat. Add mustard seeds and allow them to pop. Add hing, turmeric, curry leaves, ¼ cup cilantro, and onions. Saute until the onions start to turn translucent, it may take around 3 to 4 minutes. Cook covered to speed up the process.
2. Add the spice paste and saute for another minute. Add red chili powder, ground coriander, garam masala, ground cumin, and salt. Mix well. Add sprouted beans and mix well. Add 4 cups of water and give a quick stir.
3. Cook the curry covered for 15 to 20 minutes on medium-low heat or until the beans have cooked through. Garnish with cilantro. You may need to add an extra ½ to 1 cup of water at the end, as there is more evaporation of liquids with stovetop cooking.
Looking for more recipes? Check out my tried and tested collection of lentil and bean recipes.
Recipe
Spicy Misal Pav
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2½ cups sprouted moth beans
- 1 tomato quartered
- 2 green chilies
- 1½ inch ginger rough chopped
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon dry shredded coconut unsweetened
- 2 to 4 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida hing optional
- 10 curry leaves
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 tablespoons Mom’s Garam Masala see notes
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 cups water
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
To Serve Misal Pav
- 12 Soft Buns
- 2 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 1 to 2 cups sev farsan
- 1 cup red onion diced
- 6 lemon wedges
Instructions
- Blend tomato, chilies, ginger, garlic, and coconut in a blender to make a smooth paste.
- Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and heat oil. Add mustard seeds and allow them to pop. This may take 2 to 3 minutes. Add hing, turmeric, curry leaves, ¼ cup cilantro, and onions. Saute until the onions start to turn translucent, it may take around 3 to 4 minutes. Cook covered to speed up the process.
- Add the spice paste and saute for another minute. Add red chili powder, ground coriander, garam masala, ground cumin, and salt. Mix well. Add sprouted beans and mix well. Add water and give a quick stir. Secure the Instant Pot with the pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook (Hi) for 5 minutes followed by 10-minute natural pressure release.
- Release the remaining pressure by turning the pressure release valve to venting. Open the lid and give a quick stir. Garnish with remaining cilantro.
To Serve Misal Pav:
- Heat a nonstick griddle or pan. Lightly spread butter or ghee on each half of the bun/pav and place on the griddle. Cook until they are hot to touch. Serve hot pav alongside the misal topped with farsan, red onions, and cilantro. You can also serve the toppings on the side so that the farsan stays crunchy. I also like to serve plain yogurt on the side along with lemon wedges.
PRO Tips
- Vadilal brand frozen sprouted moth beans are available in most Indian grocery stores. They come in handy when you do not have time to sprout the matki at home
- The traditional Misal recipe has lots of thin gravy also known as “rassa” or "kat" which is used to drench in the soft pillowy pav for each bite. Add more or less water depending on how much gravy you like. You can always add more hot water after the pressure cooking cycle has completed to thin out the gravy. Many people love a thin layer of oil known as “Tarri” or “Tavang” on the gravy. Oil called for in this recipe is on the medium side, but feel free to add more or less. Adding more oil will have a layer of the “tarri” to the final dish.
- I love using my mom’s garam masala in this recipe and I use 2 tablespoons in this recipe. Any Garam masala will work in this recipe, start with 1 teaspoon and adjust as per your taste. You can also use store-bought Misal Masala, start with 1 tablespoon as it tends to be on the spicier side, and add more as needed.
Notes
- Sprouted mung beans can be used instead of moth beans. Or half and half of both sprouts work well too.
- You can skip the green chilies to make the curry mild or add more for a spicier curry.
- Add only 2 cups of water while pressure cooking and then add more warm water to adjust the gravy.
- Sprouted beans are used traditionally, but if you do not have them handy you can also use soaked moth beans with the same pressure cook time or dry moth beans with an increased pressure cook time of 15 minutes.
Nutrition
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Protima Advani says
Hi Archana,
Do you not use goda masala for your misal recipe? Most recipes I see call for goda masala in misal. Looking forward to trying this recipe. Protima
Archana says
I do! My mom's recipe. I have explained it in the post 🙂
Prabha Shenoi says
This dish is a staple food in my home. Loved the instant pot version. Ready in a few minutes without supervision and the Matki is cooked perfectly.
Kalyani Mistry says
Very Authentic and yummy misal...loved it. Just like you get outside. Yummy. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Chaitali Ghodke says
Turned out to be super tasty. Followed exactly as mentioned and was delish. Thanks for this recipe
Khushboo says
Turned out great. Thank you!
Veena says
Traditional Maharashtrian recipe...loved it
Priya says
Hi! Would love to try this recipe. I do not get he good Indian style pav where I am . what’s a good substitute? Thanks!
Archana says
Whole foods dinner rolls are great! Or any burger buns with less than 3 grams of sugar.