Mulligatawny soup: Try this colonial era Anglo-Indian dish made with pulses and… an apple!

Mulligatawny soup was first made during the British Raj as there was no ‘Indian soup' so they made a fusion with British and Indian ingredients.

There’s a national representative for everything, from the majestic tiger as the national animal, and the graceful peacock as the national bird, to the unofficial national fruit, the mango, the king of summer. But did you know about the national soup? Mulligatawny soup blends both British and Indian flavours. This Anglo-Indian dish is one of those fusion dishes that combines the culinary essence of two very different cuisines.

Mulligatawny soup is a British dish with Indian roots. (Shutterstock)

The dish adeptly balances sweet and savoury flavours. This decadent soup adds apples to savoury ingredients like pulses, bell peppers and garlic. The addition of apple cubes may raise eyebrows—how can a savoury soup include apples? But there's a phrase: ‘Trust the process.’ This soup certainly brings together a whole lot of flavours, even if some of the ingredients seem unconventional.

Mulligatawny soup recipe

Chef Shruti Mahajan shared the Mulligatawny soup recipe.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 Tsp ginger
• 2 Tsp Black Pepper
• 4-5 fresh coriander stems
• 2 Tbsp Masoor dal, rinsed, drained
• 2 Tbsp Moong dal, rinsed, drained
• 1 carrot
• 1 apple
• 1 potato, diced (optional)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin, diced
• 1 litre Water
• 1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 Tbsp Garam Masala
• Salt to taste
• 1 Cup coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp boiled rice for garnish per serve

Method

• Heat oil in a pot and toss in black pepper, ginger, and garlic. Saute until golden.
• Stir in chopped onion and cilantro/coriander stems, cooking until the onion softens and turns translucent.
• Add the dals and lightly roast them for about a minute.
• Add the chopped carrot, pumpkin, and apple, stirring everything together.
• Pour in water and season with turmeric, salt, and garam masala. Cover and let the mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• Once cooked, allow the mixture to cool before transferring it to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
• Return the blended soup to the pot, then stir in coconut milk and bring it to a boil.
• For serving, top the soup with boiled rice, fresh coriander, coconut cream, and a drizzle of chilli oil (optional).

History

The Anglo-Indian soup has a colonial past. It was created during the British Raj. Nothing resembled an actual soup in India at that time, so they created this fusion soup dish by combining Indian ingredients with available British ones, making a soup that was closer to their cuisine but was also partly Indian. The word ‘Mulligatawny’ is derived from the Tamil word for ‘pepper-water.’