Puneri Misal Pune Style Sprout Curry

Method

1. 1

   Sprout the moth beans: Wash 1 cup moth beans. Soak overnight in 3 cups water. Drain. Place in a cloth and tie tightly. Leave at room temperature for 18 to 24 hours. The sprouts will emerge — 1 to 2 cm tails. Sprouts are ready when the tails are visible but not too long.

2. 2

   Parboil the sprouts: Place sprouted beans in a pot with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt. Boil for 5 to 7 minutes until just tender — they should still have a slight firmness. Do not overcook — soft sprouts fall apart in the gravy.

3. 3

   Make the kat (thin spicy gravy): Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add finely chopped onion — cook 10 minutes until very dark golden.

4. 4

   Add ginger, garlic and tomato: Add ginger paste and garlic paste — stir 2 minutes. Add blended tomato — cook 6 minutes until oil separates.

5. 5

   Add spice powders: Turn to low. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric — stir 2 minutes.

6. 6

   Add water to make thin gravy: Add 2 cups water and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer 5 minutes. Add garam masala. The kat should be thin like a soup — not thick.

7. 7

   Add the cooked sprouts: Add the parboiled sprouts to the thin kat. Simmer together for 5 minutes. Taste — the kat should be very spicy, thin and deeply coloured.

8. 8

   Ladle into bowls: Ladle a generous portion of the sprout-kat into each serving bowl.

9. 9

   Add farsan and fresh toppings: Top with a handful of mixed farsan (the crunchy topping). Add finely chopped raw onion and coriander leaves.

10. 10

    Squeeze lemon and serve with pav: Squeeze a lemon wedge over the top. Serve with 2 dinner rolls (pav) on the side for dipping into the spicy kat.

11. 11

    Note: Misal is the breakfast of Maharashtra and the Pune version (Puneri Misal) is defined by a very thin, very spicy flowing kat (gravy) that is almost a soup. The Kolhapur version uses a different, thicker masala. The thin kat of Puneri misal is what makes the farsan on top crunch against the liquid — a deliberate textural contrast. The most famous misal stalls in Pune are Bedekar Misal and Badya Bhikoba Misal, both over 100 years old.