MULLIGATAWNY SOUP

Mulligatawny Soup which originated during the days of the Raj as a  ‘Curried Soup” was actually the anglicized version of the Tamil “Melligu -Thani”. (Melligu meaning pepper and Thani meaning water). As the name suggests it was originally a watery soup with the addition of Pepper.  However in course of time a lot of other ingredients such as coconut, meat and other spices were added to give it a completely different flavour. This soup is a tasty meal in itself.

Serves 6        Time required: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 teaspoon chillie powder

2 teaspoons ground black pepper /  / pepper powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

2 big onions sliced

3 tablespoons yellow lentils 

1 cup coconut paste or coconut milk

Salt to taste

Cook all the ingredients with 6 to 8 cups of water in a large vessel on high heat till it reaches boiling point. Lower the heat and simmer for at least one hour till the soup is nice and thick.  Alternately, pressure cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of butter while still hot. Garnish with mint leaves. Serve with bread or rice.

Note: Chicken, Mutton or Lamb could be added if desired.