January is National Soup Month which makes sense, it’s cold outside and you want to eat something warm and soothing. I was thinking about different soups to make and for some reason mulligatawny popped into my head. I remember it from Seinfeld and the no soup for you episode. I’ve never actually had mulligatawny but there was something about the way Elaine pronounced it that has stayed with me. Mulligatawny is not a classic Indian dish but rather a concoction that was created by or for British officers living in India during the colonial era. Rice, vegetables and sometimes meat were added to the local rasam, a sour tamarind-based soup, and the new invention was dubbed “mulligatawny” (a variation on the Tamil word for pepper water). I adapted a recipe from my friend Chandra Ram’s Indian Instant Pot Cookbook and it was absolutely fantastic! The combination of pureed apples, lentils, rice, curry and coconut milk reminded me of a spiced butternut squash soup and my only regret is that I waited so long to try it. There are so many variations on mulligatawny, it’s enough to make your head spin but I have a lot of faith that you’ll love Chandra’s take on it. I did test a recipe with chicken, and although tasty it didn’t hold a candle to the complexity of Chandra’s vegetarian version.

Mulligatawny

Serves 4 but recipe can be doubled to serve 8

Adapted from Chandra Ram’s Indian Instant Pot Cookbook

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (don’t fret if you don’t have it)

• 1 onion diced

• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

• 1/2 tablespoon ground turmeric

• 1 tablespoon curry powder

• 2 garlic cloves minced

• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger

• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 4 cups water

• 1/4 cup dried red or yellow lentils

• 1/2 can (14 oz) chopped tomatoes (with juice)

• 1 granny smith apple, peeled and chopped

• 1/4 cup basmati rice, rinsed and drained

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (divided)

• 1/2 can full-fat coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice

Heat oil in a large pot or a Dutch oven until shimmering. Reduce the heat to medium, add the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute until they start to pop. Add the onions, cumin, turmeric and curry powder; stir to coat the onions in the spices and cook; stirring occasionally until the onions are soft, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, salt and pepper, cook for about a minute until fragrant.

Add the water. Using a spoon, scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Stir in the lentils, tomatoes (with juice), apples, rice and half of the cilantro. Secure the pot with a lid and cook until the rice and lentils are done (about 20-25 minutes). Check in occasionally to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom and there’s still enough liquid to make a soup, add more water if needed.

After the rice and lentils are cooked through, stir in the coconut milk and lime juice. Using a standing blender, puree 3/4 of the soup until silky and smooth (taking care not to burn yourself — it’s hot!) and then add it back back to the pot. You can also use an immersion blender but be sure to keep some of the soup a little chunky. I was tempted to puree the whole thing but I’m glad I didn’t. The chunkier texture gives it a nice hearty quality.

Adjust the flavor with more salt and lime juice if needed. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and enjoy!