Mulligatawny Soup: Decoding The Indian Soup Britishers Fell In Love With

By Aanchal Mathur

Combining British and Indian ingredients to create a sour, slightly sweet, and a wholesome, hearty dish, Mulligatawny soup is an Anglo-Indian dish. 

It was a favourite dish of the Britishers in Indian during their reign, as everyone from officers to bureaucrats adored the dish.

It is said to have first concocted by the Indian cooks to please the taste-palate of the East Indian company officials.  

Made by using a sapid combination of fresh vegetables and rice, with aromatic herbs and spices, the British fell in love with the stew and asked their Indian chefs to add meat chunks into it as well. 

The name of the dish came from the Tamil language- ‘milagu’ and ‘tanny’, which literally translates to ‘pepper water’ or ‘spicy broth’. 

Ingredients

Coconut Oil- 25 ml Shallots- 20 gms Chopped Ginger- 10 gms Chopped Garlic- 5 gm Green Chili- 2 Turmeric Powder- 5 g Curry Leaves- 5 gm Whole Coriander Seeds- 15 gms Whole Jeera- 15 gms

Ingredients

Celery- 15 gms Potato- 40 gms Masoor Dal- 100 gms Coriander Stem- 35 gms Coconut Milk- 15 ml Salt- 15 gms Boiled Rice- 5 gm  Madras Curry Powder- 10 gms

Step 1

Heat coconut oil in a pan, saute the shallots, ginger, garlic, green chilli and curry leaves in it. 

Step 2

Add all the whole spices and curry powder and cook for 5 minutes. 

Step 3

Add the soaked lentil, potato and coriander stem and sauté well. 

Step 4

Add the vegetable stock and simmer till all the vegetables and lentils are cooked. Blend till a smooth puree and strain it. 

Step 5

Add coconut milk, boiled rice and lime juice and stir it. Serve hot with a garnish of fresh coriander leaves.