Misal facts for kids
Misal
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| Place of origin | India |
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| Region or state | Maharashtra |
Misal (Marathi: मिसळ, meaning "mixture") is a super popular and spicy dish from the state of Maharashtra in Western India. People often eat it for breakfast or as a quick snack. Sometimes, it's even a whole meal, especially when served as misal pav.
Misal is a favorite because it's easy to make with simple ingredients. It also has good nutrition. The taste of misal can be mildly spicy or very spicy. There are many different kinds to try! You'll often find misal sold as a tasty street food, and it's always served hot. This dish first came from the areas of Nasik and Ahmednagar in Maharashtra.
Contents
What is Misal?
Misal is a delicious mix of different tasty things. It's like a layered bowl of goodness! The main parts are a sprouted bean curry, a spicy gravy, and lots of crunchy toppings.
Key Ingredients of Misal
The ingredients in misal can be different depending on where you are. But here are the main parts:
- Usal: This is a curry made from sprouted beans. Often, it uses matki (moth beans) or dried peas. Sprouted beans add a lot of good nutrition!
- Tarri/Kat/Sample/Rassa: This is the spicy gravy that gives misal its kick! It's the most important part of the dish. Tarri comes in different colors like "kala rassa" (black), "laal rassa" (red), and "hirwa rassa" (green). The colors come from natural ingredients, not food coloring. For example, green tarri uses green chilies and coriander. Red tarri uses red chili powder.
- Batata Bhaji: These are boiled and diced potatoes. They are spiced with turmeric, chilies, ginger, and mustard seeds.
- Curd (Dahi): Sometimes, a little yogurt is added. This helps to balance out the spicy taste.
- Chivda or Farsan: These are crunchy fried snacks. They add a nice texture to the misal.
- Garnish: Fresh toppings like chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, and a squeeze of lemon make it even better.
- Pav: Misal is almost always served with soft bread rolls called pav.
How Misal is Served
Misal is served in a special way, with layers of ingredients.
- First, the matki usal (sprouted bean curry) goes into the bowl.
- Next, a thin layer of Batata bhaaji (spiced potatoes) is spread over the usal.
- Then, Chivda or Farsan is added as another thin layer.
- After that, a mix of chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander, and thin sev (crispy noodles) is put on top.
- Finally, the spicy Tarri or Kat gravy is poured over everything. Extra Tarri is usually served in a separate bowl.
- Misal is served with sliced bread or a small loaf of pav. This combination is called misal-pav.
Different Kinds of Misal
Misal has many tasty variations across Maharashtra. Here are a few popular ones:
- Upwaas Misal: This special misal can be eaten during religious fasts, like Ganesh Chaturthi. It uses ingredients allowed during fasting, such as potato, sabudana, and peanuts.
- Mamledar Misal: Found in Thane City, this version is known for being extra spicy!
- Puneri Misal: This version from Pune often includes pohe (flattened rice).
- Kolhapuri Misal: From Kolhapur, this misal is usually very spicy. It does not contain pohe. It's served with thick slices of bread, not pav. Phadtare misal is a famous one in Kolhapur.
- Nasik Misal: In the Nasik region, misal is often served with a fried papad.
- Dahi Misal: In this popular form, curd (yogurt) is added. This helps to make the spicy taste milder.
- Jain Misal: This newer version does not use any onion or garlic. The matki beans are only soaked, not sprouted. 'Masti misal' in Pune is known for its Jain misal.
Images for kids
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Kolhapuri Misal Pav with taak (buttermilk).
