Where it comes from
Kolhapur and Nashik argue endlessly over whose misal is hotter. The dish is a working-class breakfast: sprouted beans for protein, a red 'kat' of spiced oil for punch, farsan for crunch, pav for mopping.
Method
- 1
Roast the masala base
15:00Dry roast onion and coconut until dark brown, then grind with a little water.
- 2
Cook the usal
20:00Simmer sprouts with turmeric, salt and a spoon of masala until tender.
- 3
Make the kat
12:00Fry the ground paste with masala in generous oil, add hot water and boil until a red oil layer floats.
- 4
Assemble
03:00Usal in the bowl, kat ladled over, farsan and raw onion on top, lemon at the side, pav to dip.
Cook's notes
- The floating red oil layer is the sign of a proper kat.
- Add farsan only at the table or it goes soggy.
