Mulligatawny

Mulligatawny is an English version of an Indian soup that is usually made with curry and a small amount of chicken. The name literally means "pepper water". Although Bob and I had many soups while we were in India, we were never served this one, and, to my great embarrassment, I had never made it. Several weeks ago, I was introduced to the cooking of Madhur Jaffrey and her recipe for the soup caught my attention. I promised myself to try it once the activity in my kitchen moved from mazurka to waltz time and that opportunity presented itself last night. I was so excited about the results that I almost bumped my scheduled post. I stopped only because I wanted to see how this soup aged. I had it again for lunch today and I'm really happy to report my socks are still going up and down. This recipe is a treasure, especially for those who like food with a little bite. The predominant flavors here are garlic and ginger but they are perfectly balanced and neither will overwhelm the palate. I know the recipe looks involved but better than half the ingredients are spices and the soup is really easy to make. I have made very few changes to the original version. I did find the soup to be very thin, so I doubled the amount of potatoes used to thicken it and I used chicken thighs rather than the breast called for in the original recipe. I served the soup with rice for those who wanted something a bit more substantial. I really hope you will try this. I found it to be extraordinary and it will appear often on my table. Here's the recipe.

Mulligatawny...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Madhur Jaffrey

Ingredients:

12 ounces red split lentils

2 quarts chicken stock

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 or 2 medium russet potatoes (8 to 16 ounces)

10 cloves garlic, peeled

3 inch piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely grated

9 tablespoons water + 2 cups

14 ounces chicken breast or thigh, boned and skinned

2-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

1) Combine lentils, chicken stock and tumeric in stock pot or large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, leaving lid slightly ajar, turn heat to low and simmer 30 minutes.

2) While soup is simmering, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2 in dice. After 30 minutes of cooking, add potatoes and continue simmering another 30 minutes with lid slightly ajar.

3) Put garlic and ginger in electric blender or food processor with 9 tablespoons water and blend into a smooth paste.

4) Remove all fat from chicken and cut into 1/2 inch dice. Put chicken in a bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper over it and toss to mix.

5) After soup has cooked for 60 minutes total, puree. Add remaining 2 teaspoons salt and mix.

6) Pour oil into empty skillet or saucepan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add garlic/ginger spice paste, the cumin, coriander and cayenne. Fry, stirring continuously until spice mixture is slightly browned and separates from oil. Put in chicken pieces. Stir and fry another 2-3 minutes, until chicken pieces become opaque. Add reserved 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Add to pureed soup. Stir in lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Simmer soup very gently for another 2 minutes. Yield: 10 servings.