Missal Pav is the most popular street food in Mumbai, though the rich in Mumbai feel that its a dish mean for the worker class (it costs under a dollar at most food joints in Mumbai). Probably that thinking could take a back seat now because Missal Pav has been voted as the World’s tastiest vegetarian dish in London.
The Maharashtrian dish (mostly served for breakfast) has bagged the award for ‘The World’s Tastiest Vegetarian Dish’ at the global Foodie Hub Awards held in London recently. The dish was presented by ‘Aaswad’, a restaurant located at Shivaji Park in Dadar.
Suryakant Sarjoshi, owner of Aaswad says, “We got the news and it feels great! Our missal won because the spices used for the curry are entirely homemade and the farsan is of good quality. As a dish, it is a whole meal in itself.”
So what exact is Missal Pav?
Missal is a spicy curry prepared with moth beans or matki (in Marathi language) and served with chopped onions, tomatoes, fresh coriander and lime along with some green and tamarind chutneys. The topping is the farsan, which adds crunch to the dish.
And, the best way to enjoy the missal curry is with Mumbai’s favourite bread…known as ‘pav’.
A plate of missal at Aaswad is priced at Rs. 48 (well under a US dollar).