Mulligatawny Soup

Soup

Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 60 mins Total Time: 90 mins Servings: 4 Source:

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seed

1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound (about 3 large) chicken thighs

1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 medium carrot, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

1 celery rib, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 tablespoon curry powder

3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)

1 inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated

1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1 apple, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1 plum tomato, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1/2 cup dry red lentils

6 cups homemade or store-bought low sodium chicken broth, or water

Greek yogurt, to garnish

Finely chopped cilantro, to garnish

Red chili flakes, to garnish

Description

Mulligatawny marries both British and Indian ingredients to form a soup that is a bit spicy, a bit sweet, and very satisfying. There are many versions of this popular soup; some contain rice, some coconut milk, others are vegetarian while some include meat. The important elements are spice, sweetness, and in my opinion lentils.

To make my version of this Anglo-Indian dish I focused on toasted spices and sweetness. Which to me represent both cultures palates. Many recipes add a dollop of mango chutney while this version uses both an apple and a sweet potato to get a more subtle sweet flavor. Toasting, then grinding whole spices gives this soup depth, while a tablespoon of curry powder rounds out the mixture to produce the marriage of sweet and savory that is popular in many Indian influenced dishes throughout the Britain.

Directions

Place mustard seed, cumin seed, and coriander seed in a skillet and toast over high heat until spices begin to smell toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and process until fine.

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat until oil is shimmering. Season chicken thighs with salt and add to pot skin side down, cook until skin is golden, about 5 minutes then flip and cook until other side is also brown, about another 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and reserve.

Add onion, carrot, and celery to the pot and cook, stirring often until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder and toasted spiced and stir until the vegetables are evenly covered with the spices. Add garlic, ginger, sweet potato, apple and plum tomato and stir to coat. Add lentils then return chicken thighs to the pot. Cover with broth or water and bring to a simmer. Cook until potatoes and lentils are soft and soup has thickened, about 1 hour.

Remove thighs from the soup and shred the meat and skin then return to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve garnished with yogurt, cilantro, and red pepper flakes.

Notes

Forum comments

First, this was a delicious mulligatawny. It was just a bit on the too sweet side for me and a bit too thick compared to some I've made in the past. I cut the soup with some lamb stock and it was about perfect. Next time I will use half the sweet potato and more stock.

This is quite good. I find that putting in a can of coconut milk (reducing the stock by that amount) makes it even better. I also use quite a bit more curry powder than the recipe.

Nutrition

(per serving)
605 Calories 29g Fat 45g Carbs 48g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 605
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 156mg 52%
Sodium 606mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 16%
Dietary Fiber 8g 27%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 48g
Vitamin C 18mg 92%
Calcium 146mg 11%
Iron 5mg 28%
Potassium 1335mg 28%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.