Mulligatawny Soup literally translates into Pepper Water. This broth-like soup is very popular in Indian restaurants and works great as an appetizer. The spices in the soup are so warm for the cold months.
This Mulligatawny soup is one of the accompaniments that I look forward to sipping when we go to Indian restaurants for lunch or dinner. We usually choose to go to a buffet when eating at Indian restaurants just so we have a bit of an option to choose from.
The aroma of this soup just is so inviting that you have to take a sip before proceeding further. This Vegetarian Mulligatawny soup is very close to (almost like) South Indian Rasam, but yet there is something in there, that is different.
When browsing through the internet for this soup, I came across many versions that were heavy on lentils or vegetables. I was looking for a recipe that was really spicy and almost rasam-like.
What is Mulligatawny soup?
The name originates from the Tamil words mullaga / milagu and thanni, which translate into "pepper-water." This is a popular soup found in Indian restaurants. This soup acts as a great appetite builder and the spices wake you up instantly.
The whole house smelled heavenly when this soup was boiling. It is very close to the Milagu jeera rasam that I make routinely but had a little bit of shallot and garlic in it. I adapted this recipe from Mallika Badrinath’s book and added my own touch of ingredients as I went.
How to serve this Mulligatawny soup
This soup can be served as is as an appetizer or a starter along with masala papad. This could also be served with some rice. I just love to sip on the steaming hot rice throughout my meal. This soup is a great choice when you have a cold or are feeling under the weather. Think of it as a vegetarian option for Chicken soup to eat when feeling sick.
Is this Soup Vegan
I have used a little bit of ghee when tempering this soup. If looking to make it vegan, skip the ghee and use coconut oil for tempering. Other than that, the soup is entirely vegan.
Ingredients to make Mulligatawny Soup – serves 4
- Tamarind – small lime size
- Tomato - 2 (chopped)
- Red lentil / thuvaram paruppu - ¼ cup
- Water – 5 cups
- Garlic – 3 cloves
- Shallot – 1
- Mint leaves – about 10 to 15
- Curry leaves – about 10
- Coriander seeds – 2 tsp
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Pepper – 1 tsp
- Red chilies – 2
- Asafetida – a pinch
- Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
- Salt – as needed
- Cilantro – a handful (finely chopped)
- Ghee – 1 teaspoon plus more when serving
Procedure to make Mulligatawny Soup –
- Soak the tamarind in about 2 cups of hot water. Extract the juice and then add 2 more cups of water and extract the juice again.
- Cook the lentils until very soft. I cook it in my Instant pot. Mash it well and add about 2 cups of water and mix well.
- In a small pan heat about ½ teaspoon of ghee. Gently fry coriander seeds, cumin, pepper, and red chilies until they are aromatic. Now add the shallot, and garlic and fry for a minute more. Turn off the flame and then add the curly leaves and the mint leaves. Mix once and let the mixture cool down a bit. Now grind it to a coarse mixture and keep aside.
- Place the tamarind water in a soup pot and add salt, turmeric powder, and asafetida. Also, add the chopped tomatoes. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Now add the ground mixture and let it come to a gentle boil. Add the diluted lentil and mix well.
- Let it come to a boil again and then simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes until the soup froths up.
- Add the cilantro and a little bit of ghee and cover the pot.
- Serve it hot with a small dollop of ghee (optional).
Looking for more broth-like soup recipes, then you might like these
Vegetable Tofu and Sotaghon Soup
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Recipe
Mulligatawny Soup
Equipment
- shallow pan
- Blender
- soup pot
Ingredients
- small piece Tamarind
- 2 Tomato chopped
- ¼ cup Red lentil / thuvaram paruppu
- 5 cups Water
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 Shallot
- 15 Mint leaves
- 10 Curry leaves
- 2 teaspoon Coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- teaspoon Pepper1 - to taste
- 2 Red chilies
- ⅛ teaspoon Asafetida
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- to taste Salt
- handful Cilantro finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ghee
Instructions
- Soak the tamarind in about 2 cups of hot water. Extract the juice and then add 2 more cups of water and extract the juice again.
- Cook the lentils until very soft. I cook it in my Instant pot. Mash it well and add about 2 cups of water and mix well.
- In a small pan heat about ½ teaspoon of ghee. Gently fry coriander seeds, cumin, and red chilies until they are light brown. Now add the shallot, garlic and fry for a minute more. Turn off the flame and then add the curly leaves and the mint leaves. Mix once and let the mixture cool down a bit. Now grind it to a coarse mixture and keep aside.
- Place the tamarind water in a soup pot and add salt, turmeric powder and asafetida.
- Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Now add the ground mixture and let it come to a gentle boil. Add the diluted lentil and mix well.
- Let it come to a boil again and then simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the cilantro and a little bit of ghee and cover the pot.
- Serve it hot with a small dollop of ghee (optional).
FIL says
What is the correct amount of tamarind concentrate if I have that instead of the pulp? Thanks!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I would use about 1 tsp of concentrate and dissolve it in 2 cups of water and then proceed with the recipe. Thanks.
S says
I see tomatoes in the ingredients but not in the steps. When do you add them
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I have mentioned in the process. We add it when boiling the tamarind water.
Cheese Curd In Paradise says
I have had this soup while at a restaurant, but have never made it myself. This version looks simple and something I can do at home! I love all the spices in this soup! Yum!
Danielle says
Ah, such a great soup for this part of the year. And it looks really inviting, too - just what you would expect from a good soup recipe!
Amber says
Everything comes together beautifully in this soup. The curry, the mint, the red chilies... and all the rest of the ingredients are so flavorful!
sapana says
Love this angloindian style soup and I am sure it will be so comforting in the cold winter nights these days.
Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey says
What a delicious and flavourful soup. Loving the history of this soup and your desi version sounds absolutely amazing.
Jayashree T.Rao says
Such a lovely one with the Indian touch. It is ideal for the weather that we are facing now, hope to make it sometime Sandhya.
Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth says
Just by reading through the ingredients, I can get a whiff of that aroma of this soup! I always find the name of this soup and the way the name originated quite fascinating and funny... I get it when you say your house smelled amazing...
Mayuri Patel says
I too love this soup, and yet it actually originates from the rasam, invented during the British Raj. The first time I had a veggie version was at a restaurant in UK. Its such a flavourful, full of veggies and lentil soup. I love it.
Sujata Roy says
Soup looks so comforting, flavorful delicious and healthy. I would love to have it bowlful in this cold weather. Cilantro, mint curry leaves wow I can imagine the flavor.
Vandana says
Never heard of this soup before but it sounds so delicious. My father used to make a hot peppery rasam for us whenever anybody in the family had flu. This recipe sounds so similar to his recipe. Can't wait to try it.
Lata Lala says
The soup looks so comforting and hearty. Moreover I liked how it resembles to our very own Rasam.
Nothing can beat the bowlful of piping hot soup before any meal.
Loved reading the detailed explanation about this wonderful soup.
Leanne says
I've never heard of a mulligatawny soup but the peppery flavour and the other spices sound like just the thing I need right now to warm up! It looks and sounds so flavourful. And I can just imagine the amazing smell this would create in the kitchen!
Pavani says
That soup looks so hearty and comforting for cold winter nights. Spicy and delicious.
I am a fan of buffets too at Indian restaurants 🙂