3 hours ago
6
I have yet to see anyone eating mulligatawny in an Indian restaurant – perhaps unsurprisingly, given that it’s a product of the British occupation, and the very name has an off-putting Victorian feel, which is a shame, because it’s aged a lot better than imperialism. Based, historians think, on the Madrassi broth molo tunny, it’s a lovely, gently spiced winter soup that’s well worth rediscovering.
Prep 15 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 4-6
1 onion
1 carrot
1 parsnip
1 celery stick
2 tbsp ghee, or oil (eg, coconut)
4 garlic cloves
1 knob fresh ginger
½ tsp cayenne pepper or mild chilli powder
2½ tsp madras curry powder (see step 5)
1½ litres good-quality chicken stock, or vegetable stock
1 chicken thigh, bone in. skin on (optional; see step 1)
150g masoor dal (AKA split orange lentils)
4 tbsp flaked almonds (optional; see step 7)
100ml hot milk, or water
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt
1-2 tbsp fruity chutney (eg, mango; optional)
1 small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped, to serve
Plain yoghurt, to serve
1 A note on the meat
Though often made with chicken, mulligatawny was also traditionally prepared with mutton or goat, and works well with lamb, too; any fairly tender cut of either will be fine (or, indeed, you could just add some cooked meat at the end). For a lighter dish, leave it out; to make it plant-based, just swap the fat and stock as suggested below.
2 Prep the base vegetables
Peel and finely slice the onion. Trim and cut the carrot, parsnip and celery into fairly chunky dice, keeping them separate from the onion (there’s no need to peel the carrot and parsnip, unless they’re still filthy even after scrubbing). Note: the onions aside, the choice of vegetables is flexible, but do include at least one sweet thing – if not parsnips, try squash, swede or sweet potato.
3 Sweat the onion
Put the fat (I use ghee, but coconut oil or any other fairly neutral oil will do) in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, until softened and beginning to turn golden. Meanwhile, crush the garlic and finely grate the ginger (no need to peel).
4 Saute the other base veg
Add the carrot, parsnip and celery to the pan, and fry for another five or so minutes, until they’ve softened but still retain a little crunch. Scoop out a spoonful and set aside for now. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan, and cook, stirring constantly so they don’t colour, for a minute or so.
5 Add the spices
Spoon in the cayenne pepper or mild chilli powder, and the curry powder, and stir for a minute. (Old-fashioned madras curry powder is still the best choice. If you don’t have it, recipes are available online, usually containing all or some of the following: coriander, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, fennel, cloves and plenty of black pepper).
6 Add the stock, chicken and dal
Pour in the stock – chicken is the most neutral option, but lamb or vegetable will do. Now add the chicken (preferably bone-in; this and the skin can come off later) or lamb, and the masoor dal. (Other varieties of dal can be substituted, but most pulses require longer cooking.)
7 Simmer until cooked
Bring to a lively simmer, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer gently for 35 minutes, or until the dal is soft and the meat cooked through. While it’s cooking, soak the almonds in hot milk (plant-based is fine) or water. If you’d prefer to keep the soup nut-free, leave them out or substitute unsweetened coconut flakes.
8 Blitz and flavour the soup
Lift the meat out of the pan. Blend the soup until smooth, then separately whizz the softened almonds and liquid to a puree and whisk into the soup; if it feels too thick, adjust the consistency with a little extra stock or water. Stir in the lemon juice and salt to taste, then add the chutney, likewise to taste, if you would prefer it to be sweeter.
9 Finishing touches
Pull the meat into strands, discarding any skin or bones, then stir the meat back into the soup along with the reserved sauteed vegetables. Divide between bowls and garnish with coriander. Mulligatawny is also rather nice topped with a dollop of plain yoghurt. This can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge, and also freezes well.
