Mulligatawny — the Officers' Pepper Soup
A creamy curry soup born from the encounter between British cuisine and the spices of South India: simmered poultry, lentils, curry powder, and a touch of tamarind, all smoothed and served over a little rice.
A creamy curry soup born from the encounter between British cuisine and the spices of South India: simmered poultry, lentils, curry powder, and a touch of tamarind, all smoothed and served over a little rice.
Here, I believe, is the only benefit I owe to this execrable climate: mulligatawny. My cooks in Dehra Dun prepared it to my taste — spirited, but not so much as to mask the poultry — with that dash of tamarind that awakens the palate as surely as a good morning sighting. It was brought to me steaming upon my return from the surveys; I assure you such a soup makes trigonometry almost tolerable. Take a full spoonful over the rice, Sir, and you will understand why no officer of the Indies forgoes it.
- •Chicken or fowl — 1 piece (protein base)
- •Red lentils — a good handful (binder, creaminess)
- •Curry powder (turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, pepper) — 2 tbsp (signature spice)
- •Tamarind — one ball (acidity)
- •Onion — 2 (aromatic base)
- •Rice — one bowl (accompaniment)
Mulligatawny — the Officers' Pepper Soup
A creamy curry soup born from the encounter between British cuisine and the spices of South India: simmered poultry, lentils, curry powder, and a touch of tamarind, all smoothed and served over a little rice.
Why this dish? At headquarters in Dehra Dun and at the mess in Calcutta, officers like Everest dined at the affluent colonial table, served by Indian domestics. Mulligatawny — literally 'pepper water' in Tamil — was THE emblematic dish of this Anglo-Indian cuisine, served as the opening of grand meals.
Here, I believe, is the only benefit I owe to this execrable climate: mulligatawny. My cooks in Dehra Dun prepared it to my taste — spirited, but not so much as to mask the poultry — with that dash of tamarind that awakens the palate as surely as a good morning sighting. It was brought to me steaming upon my return from the surveys; I assure you such a soup makes trigonometry almost tolerable. Take a full spoonful over the rice, Sir, and you will understand why no officer of the Indies forgoes it.
Ingredients (period version)
- Chicken or fowl — 1 piece (protein base)
- Red lentils — a good handful (binder, creaminess)
- Curry powder (turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, pepper) — 2 tbsp (signature spice)
- Tamarind — one ball (acidity)
- Onion — 2 (aromatic base)
- Rice — one bowl (accompaniment)
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs — 4 (protein and stock)
- Red lentils — 100 g (thickener)
- Mild curry powder — 2 tbsp (main spice)
- Tamarind paste — 1 tsp (acidity)
- Onions — 2, sliced (aromatic base)
- Carrot and celery stalk — 1 each (broth vegetables)
- Coconut cream or cream — 100 ml (creaminess (optional))
- Cooked basmati rice — 2 bowls (serving)
Method
- Sauté the sliced onions in a little clarified butter until golden.
- Add the curry powder, stir for 1 minute to release aromas.
- Add the chicken, lentils, carrot, and celery; cover with water or stock.
- Simmer for 40 minutes, remove the chicken, shred it.
- Blend the soup to bind, add tamarind and, if desired, coconut cream.
- Return the shredded chicken, adjust seasoning.
- Serve hot over a spoonful of rice.
How it was made : Mulligatawny is one of the first codified 'Anglo-Indian' dishes: an adaptation by Indian cooks of Tamil rasam to British expectations (who wanted a 'soup' as a starter, a structure absent from Indian cuisine). It appears in colonial cookbooks as early as the beginning of the 19th century.
The contemporary twist : Add a touch of grated apple and a few toasted flaked almonds — a 'club' variant inherited from Victorian messes — for a sweet and crunchy note.
George Everest · Charactorium