Misal Pav: The Hot and Spicy Maharashtrian Breakfast Dish That You'll Love   

Step into Maharashtra and you’d find the street carts laden with pavs. Pav, for the unversed, is a type of bun/bread which is popular in the state. The baked bread is cut into quarters and each quarter is called pav in Hindi. That’s how it gets its name. The interesting bit is that pav was not known to us until the Portuguese settled here. They brought the pav, potatoes and plenty of other food items with them, which have been adapted to the Indian cuisine really well today. My tryst with the softest pavs happened in Mumbai. Looking for a place to break our journey from Thane to Mumbai, we stopped at this small eatery which served all kinds of popular street foods. From the iconic vada pav to dabeli and more, their menu had several variations of pav that could be made. 

Amidst all the choices, it was misal pav that caught our attention. While we expected a dry bun sandwich to be served on our plate, turns out, misal pav was actually a curry and pav combination. For those untouched by the phenomenon, misal is a spicy and hot curry made from moth beans and gravy. The misal is served with a side of bread roll or pav that is dipped into it. A popular breakfast item from the Maharashtrian fare, the aroma of misal pav travels pretty quickly from nearby homes and food carts on the streets. It is also eaten as a street snack near the Chowpatty, along with other quick bites. 

Here’s a recipe of a classic Maharashtrian misal pav that you can try for breakfast at home.