Mulligatawny Soup

Mulligatawny Soup, origins in Indian cuisine. The name originates from the Tamil words mullaga/milagu and thanni and can be translated as "pepper water" or "pepper broth."

I tasted this soup in a restaurant when I had no choice to order a soup. But after tasting it, I wanted to know what this soup is actually made of and its stories. You won't believe me if I say this soup was popular with the British stationed in India (employees of the East India Company) during colonial times, during the late 18th century and later.  When they returned home, they brought the recipe back with them to England, and to other members of the Commonwealth, especially Australia. This is an ancient popular soup, try this at home you'll love it. We need to preserve our traditional cooking :) 

You can make this soup with vegetables or chicken, or plain. Today I have shown you soup with chicken stock. It takes time if you are planning for your dinner start preparing it an hour before. 

Ingredients 

• Soaked Toor dal - 1/2 cup 
  
• Soaked rice - 3 tsp
• Cooked rice - 2 tsp 
• Finely chopped onion - 1 no 
• Ginger - 1 inch 
• Garlic - 4 nos 
• Curry leaves - 6- 8 nos  
• Bay leaves - 2 nos 
• Chicken stock - 2 cup 
• Black pepper - 1 tsp 
• Coriander seeds - 1 tsp 
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Curry powder - 2 tsp 
• Coconut milk - 1/4 cup 
• Lemon juice - 2 tsp 
• Chopped Coriander leaves - 2 tsp  
• Salt - For tatse  
• Oil - 1 tsp 

For paste 

Grind curry leaves, ginger, garlic, black pepper, coriander seeds and some salt into a paste. Keep this aside. 

For soup 

1. In a pressure cooker, add oil and bay leaves.
2. Add onions, and saute it light
3. After 1 minute, add turmeric powder and curry powder
4. Add the paste and mix well 
5. Add soaked dal and soaked rice, cook for 2 minutes 
   
6. Add salt. (If you want to add chicken to the soup, now add 4-5 pieces of chicken )
7. Add chicken stock or veg stock and mix well. 
8. Place the lid and cook  up to 3-4 whistles so that the dal and rice cook well. 
9. Once the pressure is down, remove the bay leave from the soup and (chicken if you added)
10. Use a whisk and mix well. 
11. Switch on the stove and keep the soup again for cooking. 
12. (Add the chicken pieces back to the soup)
13. Add lemon juice and add salt (If needed) 
14. Add water if you want to make the soup little thinner. 
    
15. Before you serve the soup, add the coconut milk, mix well and turn off heat 

For serving 

To serve the soup, in a bowl place a tsp of cooked rice in the base and coriander leaves. Pour in the piping hot soup.