The ultimate fasting dish from Maharashtra is called Upwas Chi Misal.
Maharashtra, a land of contrasts, where you have protein-rich missal pav made from sprouts you have carbs heavy dish for a fast made from sago and potatoes. Sabudana Missal is tasty and gives you the energy to do your day to day jobs.

Contents:
- A little about fasting
- So what is Farali Misal?
- Recipe Card
- Pro tips to make Farali Missal Recipe
- Pin for Later
A little about fasting
According to the Hindu calendar on Ekadashi, we fast this is once a month. Then people do fast for Navratri, Jamastmi fasts, Sankasthi, Hartalika. There are weekly fasts that people do. Different days are dedicated to different Goads and goddesses and fasting is done to appease them or thanking them for favours granted.
There are many ways to do this you may fast nirjali meaning without water and food, fal ahaar with fruits. The choice is yours! You can ignore these days too after all the choice is yours.
The most common fast is on Ashhadi Ekadashi and fasting like an old lady said: “Ekadashi and double kahshi” meaning on Ekadashi you eat double.
In Maharashtra, it is sabudana, potato and varaya che tandul that rule the roost. Sweet Potato, jeera are allowed as fast foods. Hence Vrat ka Khana or Upwas ka Khana has hence become a genre of cuisine. A treat as you enjoy the most delicious foods think of the sabudana khichdi, sabudana wada, sabudana thalipeeth, ratali cha kees, batata cha kees. If you enjoy sweets then you have ratali cha shira.
I am from Karnataka so we have Hachid Avlakki or Upma or any kind of poha without onion and garlic is okay as fasting food. In Goa, Chapati and Usali are fasting foods.
When someone is fasting, which is very rare, in my place I make a Sabudana Khichdi. But this time when Apeksha, my elder daughter came down from Bengaluru she had a list of what I want to eat. One of them was Faarli Missal or Farali Misal.

So what is Farali Misal?
Faral is refreshment so light food is faral. Do not however go by the meaning this is carbs heavy dish and very filling.
The synopsis for faarali missal also called upwas chi misal is sabudana khichdi topped with potato vegetable, ground nuts or peanuts gravy, curds and farali batat chaya saali. One plate and you are done.
If you are bored of the regular Sabudana Khichidi, sabudana wada or varyache tandul then try making upwas chi missal.
What is Danaya Cha Kuut?
The most common ingredient in the Maharashtrian fasting cuisine is Danaya cha Kuut also called Koot, It is nothing but roasted peanuts powder. This powder is in the Deccan plateau used in place of coconut in everyday food. This powder acts as a thickening agent for a vegetable but the best part is it gives a distinct flavour to your food.
You will need it to make sabudana khichdi, Farali Misal. Try adding it to gawara bhopla chi bhaji it tastes great.

Ingredients are needed to make Upvas Che Missal
- Common ingredients for Sabudana Che Misal are
- Danaya cha Kuut: Roasted peanuts/ groundnuts roast them and coarsely grind them. You can peel the skin off the peanuts before grinding. I do not peel the nuts.
- Green chilli: Adjust as per taste now I need 6-7chillies. You can also use chilli paste.
- Sugar: Just to balance the taste.
- Salt: I always use regular table salt. You can use sendhav namak or rock salt.
- Ghee: no oil please but ghee, clarified butter only is used for fasts.
- Jeera: Cumin seeds this is the tempering ingredient for any upwas.
- Ingredients for the Sago Khichdi:
- Sabudana: Sago, rinse the sago in running water and add 1 cup of water and soak overnight.
- Coconut: freshly grated coconut is something that is added traditionally again I have stopped adding coconut.
- Lemon: Juice of 1 lemon you can adjust as per taste.
- Ingredients For the potato sabzi:
- Potatoes: boiled peeled and diced in smaller sized cubes.
- Ingredients for the peanuts gravy:
- Peanuts: full groundnuts soaked overnight and boiled with salt in the cooker.
- Water: enough water to soak the peanuts and then for thin gravy.
Method of making Farali Misal:
- Making the Sabudana Khichidi:
- Wash and rinse the sago in the night, add water just about the height of the sago and let it stay covered. In the morning fluff, the sago a bit then add groundnut powder, lemon, sugar, 1 ½ tablespoon coconut and salt mix well. Set aside.
- In a thick bottomed pan or kadhai/wok Heat 1 ½ tablespoon ghee and add cumin seeds fry till they change colour. Add the green chilli sauté. Add the sago mix well. Cover and cook till the sago is done. As the sabudana cooks get ready to cook the potato bhaji.
- You can eat the sago and check if it is done but the test is that when done sago is a translucent ball and very soft to touch.
- Making the Potato Bhaji:
- Boil the scrubbed potatoes in the cooker for 2-3 whistles. Let the pressure come down naturally. Peel and chop them in small pieces.
- In thick kadhai/wok add ½ cup ghee and add the cumin seeds fry till they change colour. Add the green chilli sauté.
- Add the potatoes and kuut (roasted peanut powder), salt Add 1 teaspoon sugar and mix well. Cook on low flame stirring constantly. The vegetable will stick to the bottom of the pan so sprinkle a little water. Sprinkle please do not pour water.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes or till you get a nice aroma.
- Switch off the gas and let it sit covered till needed. Squeeze some lemon on the mixture and mix well.
- Making the groundnuts ready:
- In the cooker when you are boiling the potatoes add these peanuts in a bowl. In case you have forgotten to soak them overnight it's okay. Add ½ cup more water, salt and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. Let the pressure come down naturally.
- Transfer the boiled peanuts to a saucepan, add salt and add 2 cups of water and kuut (roasted peanut powder) . Bring to boil. Lower the flame. Stir and let it boil for about 5 minutes or till the water reduces by about ½cup. Cover and let it stand.
- Beat the curds.
- Chop the coriander leaves.
- Cut the Batat chya sali packet.
How to serve Sabudana Missal:
- Take a plate with an edge and add a ladleful of the sabudana khichdi.
- Add a tablespoon full of potato bhaji and spread it a little.
- Add very hot boiled groundnuts along with some of the water in it.
- Top it up with a little beaten curd, potato saali or any crips you like and of course chopped coriander.
- Serve hot.

Workflow for making Sabudana Missal:
When there is more than one component in a dish I am trying to give a workflow these days. This is basically since my daughters will start their own kitchen they will need it. Here we go,
- In the night wash and rinse the sabudana. Add 1 cup water some water just on the sago. Cover and set aside.
- Soak the peanuts after you rinse them. Take a big bowl and add peanuts and enough water to soak them. Now, 1-½ cups water over this as the nuts soak they absorb the water and they swell so the big bowl. Cover and set aside.
- In a kadhai/wok add the peanuts and on low flame roast them. Initially stir occasionally but as the groundnuts roast they pop from then you will have to stir regularly. Once they are well roasted (you will get a crunch when you bite in them also the aroma will tell you they are done.) Cool the nuts then you wish you can peel them by rubbing with a bowl. Separate the seeds and then grind them to a coarse powder.
- In the morning wash and scrub your potatoes. Transfer to a bowl. Check the level of water in the peanuts, add more water if needed, add salt, don't forget to mix. Cover and transfer to the pressure cooker. Pressure cook the peanuts, in one bowl and the potatoes in another for 2-3 whistles. Let the pressure come down naturally.
- Meanwhile, fluff the sago and add all the listed ingredients. Cook it as per the instructions above.
- The potatoes when done peel and cut in small cubes. Make the bhaji as I have listed above.
- Check the groundnuts adjust the salt, water and the koot bring to boil. Check the detailed instructions above.
- Beat the curds, cut open the upwasa cha chiwad packet, chop the coriander leaves and set out the plates. You are ready to dish out.
Recipe Card:

Faarli Missal Recipe
Equipment
- Bowls
- Kadhai/wok
- Saucepan
- chutney jar of mixer/blender
- Spoons and Ladles
Ingredients
Common ingredients:
- ½ + 2 tbsp cup roasted peanut powder
- 6 nos green chilli
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 2 teaspoon Jeera seeds
- Juice of a lemon
For Sabudana Khichdi:
- 1 cup sabudana/sago wash & soak overnight
- 2 tablespoon coconut
For the Potatoes Bhaji:
- 2-3 potatoes boiled peeled and cut into fine bits.
For the Groundnut Gravy:
- 2 cups groundnuts soaked overnight and boiled.
- 2 cup water approximately
To garnish:
- Beaten curds
- Potato chips
- Coriander leaves
Instructions
Making the Sabudana Khichidi:
- Wash and rinse the sago in the night, add water just about the height of the sago and let it stay covered.
- In the morning fluff the sago a bit then add groundnut powder, lemon, sugar, 1 ½ tablespoon coconut and salt mix well. Set aside.
- In a thick bottomed pan or kadhai/wok heat 1 ½ tablespoon ghee and add cumin seeds fry till they change colour. Add the green chilli sauté.
- Add the sago mix well. Cover and cook till the sago is done.
Making the Potato Bhaji:
- Pressure cook the potoaotes for 2-3 whistles. Let the pressure come down naturally.
- Peel and chop them into small pieces after they cool down.
- In thick kadhai/wok add ½ cup ghee and add the cumin seeds fry till they change colour. Add the green chilli sauté.
- Add the potatoes and kuut, salt Add 1 teaspoon sugar and mix well.
- Cook on low flame stirring constantly. The vegetable It will stick to the bottom of the pan so sprinkle a little water. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Switch off the gas and let it sit covered till needed. Squeeze some lemon on the mixture and mix well.
Making the groundnuts ready:
- Pressure cook the peanuts for 2-3 whistles. Let the pressure come down naturally.
- Transfer the boiled peanuts to a saucepan, add salt and add 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoon kuut. Bring to boil. Lower the flame.
- Stir and let it boil for about 5 minutes or till the water reduces by about ½cup.
- Cover and let it stand for a few minutes.
To serve Sabudana Missal:
- Take a plate with an edge and add a ladleful of the sabudana khichdi.
- Add a tablespoon full of potato bhaji and spread it a little.
- Add very hot boiled groundnuts along with some of the water in it.
- Top it up with a little beaten curd, potato saali or any crips you like and of course chopped coriander.
- Serve hot.
Pro tips to make Farali Missal Recipe:
- Farali Misal recipe is very filling and heavy so I make lesser quantity. This quantity is enough for a family of 6 adults.
- For the softer texture of sabudana khichidi after you wash and drain the sabudana add more water. Generally, I add 1 cup of water.
- My mother-in-law used to mix curds in the water and then add it to the sabudana. If you do follow this step avoid using lemon as you will get a bitter flavour.

This is an old post that I am updating with newer pictures and a write-up as a part of the group Foodies_RedoingOld Post.
Other Fasting Recipes you may like:
- Bhagari Chi Kheer with Jaggery
- Sama Rice Pulao Recipe
- Aval Payasam – Rice flakes in coconut milk dessert
Pin for Later:

priya vj says
If someone is ready to serve me such a feast on fasting..i don't mind fasting regularly ..the batata salli on top of sabu khichdi is so inviting i think i will end up makimg sabu khichdi very soon.
ArchanaPotdar says
Lol come over and we can make it togetehr.
MIna Joshi says
What a lovely dish to serve when fasting. By topping it with crispy potato crisps - you have made it look like a farari bhel with different toppings.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Mina.
Kalyani says
Fasting and feasting (virtually) go hand in hand.. I like the take on sabudana and aloo here in a diffeernt avatar... I will need a longgg snooze after this kind of missal 🙂
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Kalyani.
Poonam Bachhav says
Never tasted or tried making Sabudana misal at home ever , probably because we take only fruits and milk for most of the fasts and eat salted faral only on ekadashi which I always end up making Sabudana vada or bhagar amti. Your post is really tempting me to try out this utterly delicious looking dish very soon.
ArchanaPotdar says
Try and let me know Poonam.
Mayuri Patel says
What a wonderful and tasty farali misal. Serving sabudana khichdi in a totally different way. Love the crunchy potato chips on top. I'm a huge fan of anything made with sabudana.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks.
Sowmya Srihari says
Sabudana khichadi is a family favorite. Love the addition of coconut to it. Yum!!
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks.
Jayashree T.Rao says
I love sabudana khees anyday but never had a misal. It looks tasty and filling. Will try sometime.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Jayashree do try.