I I have yet to see anyone eating mulligatawny in an Indian restaurant – perhaps not surprising, since it is a product of British occupation, and the name has a disgusting Victorian air to it, which is a shame, because it has aged much better than imperialism. It is based, as historians believe, on school broth Tony PierIt’s a lovely, gently spiced winter soup that’s worth rediscovering.
Preparatory school 15 minutes
He cooks 50 minutes
serves 4-6
1 onion
1 carrot
1 parsnip
1 stalk of celery
2 tablespoons gheeOr oil (such as coconut)
4 garlic cloves
1 handle fresh ginger
Half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper or fine chili powder
½ tsp Madras curry powder (See step 5)
– A liter and a half of good quality chicken stockor vegetable broth
1 chicken thighbone inside the skin (optional; see step 1)
150 grams masoor dal (also known as orange split lentils)
4 tablespoons of ground almonds (Optional; see Step 7)
100 ml of hot milkor water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt
1-2 tablespoons fruit sauce (e.g. mango; optional)
1 small bunch fresh coriander– Roughly chopped – for serving
Plain yogurtFor service
1 note on meat
Although often prepared with chicken, it was traditionally prepared with lamb or goat, and works well with lamb as well; Any somewhat tender cut will do fine (or, actually, you could just add some cooked meat at the end). For a lighter dish, leave it out; To make it vegetarian, just swap out the fat and broth as suggested below.
2 Prepare basic vegetables
Peel the onion and cut it into thin slices. Trim and dice the carrots, parsnips, and celery into fairly chunky cubes, keeping them separate from the onions (there’s no need to peel the carrots and parsnips, unless they’re still dirty even after scrubbing). Note: Aside from onions, the choice of vegetables is flexible, but include at least one sweet thing — if not parsnips, try butternut squash, yams, or sweet potatoes.
3- Squeeze the onion
Place the fat (I use ghee, but coconut oil or another fairly neutral oil will work) in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes until softened and beginning to turn golden. Meanwhile, crush the garlic and grate the ginger finely (no need to peel).
4 Saute other basic vegetables
Add the carrots, parsnips and celery to the pan, and sauté for another five minutes or so, until tender but still retaining some crunch. Take out a spoon and set it aside for now. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until they do not change color, for a minute or so.
5 Add spices
Add cayenne pepper or mild chili powder and curry powder, stir for a minute. (Old curry powder is still the best option. If you don’t have it, recipes are available online, which usually contain all or some of the following: coriander, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, fennel, cloves, and lots of black pepper.)
6 Add the broth, chicken and dal
Pour in the stock – chicken is the more neutral option, but lamb or vegetables will do. Now add the chicken (preferably boneless, skin can be removed later) or mutton and masoor dal. (Other types of dal can be substituted, but most pulses require longer cooking.)
7- Leave it on the fire until it is cooked
Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 35 minutes or until the dal is tender and the meat is tender. While cooking, soak the almonds in hot milk (vegetarian is fine) or water. If you prefer to keep your soup nut-free, leave it out or replace it with unsweetened coconut flakes.
8 raid and flavor the soup
Remove the meat from the pan. Blend the soup until smooth, then pulse the softened and liquid almonds separately to a puree and then whisk them into the soup; If it is too thick, adjust the consistency with a little broth or water. Add lemon juice and salt to taste, then add the sauce to taste if you prefer it to be sweeter.
9 finishing touches
Pull the meat into threads, discarding any skin or bones, then stir the meat back into the soup with the reserved sautéed vegetables. Divide among plates and garnish with coriander. Mulligatawny is also rather nice with a dollop of plain yoghurt. This can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator, and it also freezes well.
