Recipe: Indian Mulligatawny Soup (vegetarian)
I’m a huge fan of soup. All year long. And I love Indian food, so it’s no surprise that I Mulligatawny soup holds a special place in my heart.
So as it turns out, one of my favorite “Indian” soups was actually created by the British. Mulligatawny is the Anglicized version of the Tamil (a southern Indian language) words for “pepper water”. It was created by and became popular with the British employees of the East India Company living in India during colonial times, during the late 18th century. When they returned home, they brought the recipe back with them to England, and to other members of the British Commonwealth, especially Australia. Since that time it has been modified many ways, and can be made in vegetarian and non-vegetarian forms. This version is vegetarian…and delicious.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
1 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp ghee
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and torn into pieces (cutting with a knife can leave dark marks on the leaves)
1 Tbsp cilantro leaves, for garnish
1 lb lentils, rinsed and checked for stones
1 large can peeled whole tomatoes, diced (28 oz can, drained)
1 cup coconut milk
Juice from 1 lemon
6 cups vegetable stock (preferably low sodium)
1 Tbsp garam masala
2 tsp tandoori spice mix
2 tsp curry powder
¼ cup black mustard seeds
1 tsp cardamom, ground
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Preparation:
- In a food processor or blender, puree the ginger and garlic
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt ghee and sauté onion, ginger and garlic, cooking until tender, then add in mustard seeds—after a few minutes they will begin to crackle and pop, at this point, add in the garam masala, tandoor spice mix, curry powder, salt, cardamom and cayenne and stir.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes, then add vegetable stock and lentils and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer for 1 hour, until the lentils are tender
- Stir in coconut milk and simmer 2 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in spinach and lemon juice
- Put into bowls and garnish with cilantro if desired
Enjoy!
Travel tip: Although the original East India Company is long gone, the East India Company shop is a wonderful stop if you are visiting London–it is a must-visit gourmet destination, filled with some of the finest foods and flavours from around the world, including rare teas, rich coffees, chocolates, jams, and many more luxurious gifts that connect food enthusiasts from around the world. They have several locations. To find out more, click here: www.theeastindiacompany.com