Mulligatawny Soup (Satterly)

Mulligatawny is an Anglo-Indian soup with roots in Tamil Nadu, and this version stays close to those origins. Dried chickpeas, vegetables, and a full cup of coconut milk create a creamy, spiced base that’s vegetarian but rich enough to stand as a main course.

The spice work starts in ghee: onions saute for five minutes, then turmeric, coriander, dried chili, and cayenne get stirred in and bloomed for another two to three minutes. That brief fry in hot fat wakes up the spices and releases their oils in a way that just dumping them into broth never will.

Carrots, potatoes, green pepper, and tomato simmer in stock until tender, then grated coconut and coconut milk go in for a double hit of richness. Everything gets blended smooth, then finished with fresh lemon juice and cilantro off the heat.

This soup tastes better the next day. The spices keep developing as it sits in the fridge.

Chef Tips

• Cook the dried chickpeas until fully soft before adding them to the soup. Undercooked chickpeas won’t blend smooth and leave a gritty texture
• Bloom the spices until they’re fragrant but not dark. Burnt turmeric turns bitter
• Let the soup cool slightly before blending. Hot soup in a blender can blow the lid off and cause burns
• The lemon juice and cilantro go in after blending. Heat would dull the lemon’s brightness and wilt the herbs

Variations

• Use canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed) to skip the soaking and cooking step
• Add a diced apple with the vegetables for a sweeter, fruitier version traditional in British adaptations
• Stir in shredded cooked chicken for a non-vegetarian take