"Misal" with a twist

First of all wish you all a very Happy & a prosperous New Year!

Many of you may be aware of this tasty Maharashtrian dish that is normally eaten for breakfast. “Misal” meaning mixture in marathi. When served with pav (bread) it is known as Misal Pav.  Traditionally, “Misal” is made from  matki (moth beans) or sprouted green gram with a thick gravy using “goda masala”. This is topped with “Bombay Mixture” (or farsaan as it is called), onions and tomatoes. When curd (yoghurt) is added, it is known as “Dahi Misal”

For me, the word “misal” brings back fond memories of my childhood days in Mumbai.

Our summer vacations were mostly spent at my Grandma’s place. We would have our cousins for company too. If and when we have behaved well and helped Grandma with some household chores, Grandpa would take us all out to a neighbourhood restaurant for a “Misal” treat. The taste of that misal still lingers in my mouth!

Since “misal is a very versatile dish, I have prepared this with a slight twist. Instead of  using “matki” or “sprouted moong”, I have made use of our regular south Indian “Sambhar” with vegetables. Believe me, it turns out really delicious. Try it out and see for yourself. This is my version of "misal" or you can also call it the south-indian “chaat”!

Most South Indian homes prepare Sambhar at least once or twice in a week so it will be easy for them to prepare this misal in a jiffy.

 Misal

Misal ingredients

Ingredients :

Sambhar	4 cups
Bombay mixture (Chivda)	100 gms
Onion (chopped)	1 medium
Tomato (chopped)	1 medium
Corriander leaves (chopped)	2 tbsps
Curds (optional)	About 1 cup
Lemon juice (optional)	2 tsps

Method :

1. First prepare your regular sambhar with any mixed vegetables of your choice.
2. Next keep all the other ingredients (Chivda, chopped onion, chopped tomatoes, coriander leaves) ready.
3. Ladle the sambhar into the serving bowl. Add a tablespoon each of chivda, onion, tomato and coriander leaves and finally ½ tsp of lime juice. Add these items just before serving.
4. Serve hot.

Serves : 4

Note:

• It is eaten as a snack. 
• In this recipe, I used corn mixture and ‘sev’.
• If you want to make “Dahi Misal”, add curds to the above prepared bowl, in which case, you may omit the lemon juice.
• Try it out with any curry of your choice and prepare “misal”.

Purple Cabbage, Radish & Carrot Salad

This is a very healthy, colourful and tasty salad. Now-a-days, salad has become an integral part of our diet in most homes and my home is no exception to this.

Salads when eaten raw is highly beneficial but during the monsoon season it is advisable to refrain from eating them raw instead stir-frying them on a high flame is a better option as it destroys the bacteria that maybe present and at the same time retains its texture and freshness.

The preparation of salad is quite an art. I am learning this by watching various food shows on TV.  Cutting of vegetables is of utmost important especially those like radish, carrots, beetroots etc.

So here is a quick stir-fry salad with the Indian touch to it. In the original recipe, it required a dressing which was poured over the thinly cut raw vegetables.

Purple Cabbage, Radish & Carrot Salad

Vegetables sliced and ready for Stir-Frying

Ingredients:

Red Cabbage	1/8 pc
Radish (Mooli)	1
Carrot	1
Capsicum	¼ pc
Onion	1 small
Red chilly flakes	1-2 tsps ( or as per taste)
Fresh curry leaves	1 sprig ( you can add more)
Salt	To taste
Olive oil	2 tsps
Lime juice	1 tsp
Corriander leaves (chopped)	1 tbsp

Method:

Peeling the carrot into ribbon shape

1. Wash all the vegetables and peel the skins of the radish, carrot and onion. Deseed the capsicum.
2. Slice the onion and the cabbage thinly. Cut the capsicum into thin strips.
3. With the help of the peeler, peel the carrot and radish (just as you peeled the skin) so that you get thin peels of ribbon and continue doing so till you get the desired quantity.
4. Heat olive oil (you can use any other cooking oil too) in a wok/kadai. Keep the flame high.
5. Add the sliced onions, curry leaves and red chilly flakes. Stir constantly till the onions are translucent.
6. Add capsicum and red cabbage. Give it a good stir for a minute or two.
7. Then add the thin peels of radish and carrot. Mix well. Add salt and give it another quick stir and remove from flame.
8. Finally garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and lime juice.

Cooking time : 5-7 mins

Serves: 2

Note:

• You can substitute ginger or garlic for onions. OR  you can  use all three i.e. onion, ginger and garlic. The choice is yours.
• This salad goes well with chapattis.
• For yet another purple cabbage salad, see here