The real Misal Pav in Sydney.

Misal Pav comes from Kolhapur and Pune, where it's eaten at breakfast with the kind of intensity most people reserve for espresso. The base — usal — is a slow-cooked curry of sprouted matki (moth beans), tempered with onion, garlic, ginger, goda masala and Kolhapuri kanda-lasun chutney.

On top: a shower of farsan (crunchy sev and boondi), diced raw onion, chopped coriander, and a squeeze of lime. Served with soft pav and a small glass of buttermilk to cool the burn.

Misal Pav is genuinely hard to find in Sydney — most Indian restaurants don't serve it because it's regional to Maharashtra. Search interest for "Misal Pav Sydney" and "Misal Pav Parramatta" has climbed steadily as the Marathi community grew. We opened Sydney's first dedicated Maharashtrian kitchen partly to serve this dish properly.

We sprout the moth beans in-house over 48 hours, cook the usal with fresh goda masala, and top each plate to order so the farsan stays crunchy. Spice level is unapologetically Kolhapuri — say the word and we'll dial it up. Order Misal Pav online for pickup from Parramatta.