Mulligatawny, is one of the most comforting of cool-weather soup favourites. The dish traces its origins back to the days of British colonial rule in India, when British households developed a taste for Indian spices and adapted them to suit their own tables. Its rather curious name comes from the Tamil language phrase milagu tanni, meaning “pepper water” – a humble beginning for what has become a richly spiced, hearty soup we know and love today.
Here’s a nice simple version to warm you on these cooling nights.
40g butter
500g left over shredded roast chicken
1 large onion
2 dried bay leaves
1 apple, peeled and cubed (1cm cubes)
2 tablespoons of Clive of India curry powder
1 cup of cubed potato or sweet potato
2 tablespoons plain flour
6 cups of chicken stock
1/3 cup basmati rice
2 tablespoons of mango chutney
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup of cream
Salt and pepper
1. Heat the butter in a large heavy based pan. Add the onion, potato, apple and curry powder and fry gently until onion softens.
2. Add the flour and stir for a few minutes making sure the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom then add the stock and stir until mixture simmers and thickens.
3. Add the shredded chicken, bring back to a slow simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes. You can add a little water if the mixture is too thick. Check regularly to make sure the mixture is not sticking to the bottom.
4. Add rice and stir well. Cook on a slow simmer for 15 minutes.
5. After rice is cooked, stir in the chutney, lemon juice, cream and seasoning. Serve with crusty bread of toasted chapattis.
The consistency of this soup should be a little bit thinner than a curry – so nice and thick but you can adjust it to your own taste.