Mulligatawny Soup

Name: Mulligatawny Soup (A flavorful red lentil and vegetable soup)
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; ½ small green apple, cored and sliced; ½ small potato, diced; 6 tablespoons masoor dal (split red lentil); 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon table salt; 5 cups (1 liter) vegetable stock; ¼ cup (30 grams) grated fresh coconut (or frozen unsweetened coconut); 2 bay leaves; 12 to 15 whole black peppercorns; 1-inch (2½-cm) piece fresh ginger, chopped; 4 to 6 cloves garlic; 1 medium onion, quartered; 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped; 16 to 20 fresh curry leaves; 1 tablespoon coriander seeds; 1 tablespoon cooked white rice; 4 green cardamom pods; 4 whole cloves; 2 (1-inch/2½-cm) cinnamon sticks; 2 or 3 dried red chiles, stemmed; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 tablespoon besan (chickpea/gram flour)

A flavorful red lentil and vegetable soup

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

How to Cook Indian

By Sanjeev Kapoor

Published 2011

About

An Anglo-Indian preparation, this soup is also known as “pepper water” because the Tamil word mulligu means “pepper” and thanni means “water.” But it doesn’t stop at pepper, for the variations on this soup are many. The recipe here is what is made in my home; I sip this warm concoction when I feel a cold coming on.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon besan (chickpea/gram flour)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 or 3

Asia
India
Vegan
Soup
Gluten-free

Method

Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the besan and roast over low heat, stirring continuously, for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside.
Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the chiles, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves, peppercorns,