Indian Mulligatawny Soup

About This Recipe

This chicken mulligatawny combines lentils, vegetables, curry spices and a small tart-apple component. Coconut milk rounds the broth while lemon sharpens it. The lentils give body without requiring a large amount of cream or flour.

Equipment

• ✓ Soup saucepan
• ✓ Knife and board
• ✓ Ladle
• ✓ Immersion blender or blender approved for the liquid temperature
• ✓ Food thermometer

Ingredients

• 500 g chicken thigh, 2 cm pieces
• 25 g ghee
• 180 g onion, diced
• 140 g carrot, diced
• 120 g celery, diced
• 15 g ginger
• 12 g garlic
• 18 g mild curry powder
• 120 g red lentils
• 1.4 litres chicken stock
• 180 ml coconut milk
• 100 g tart apple, diced
• 20 ml lemon juice

Easy Step-by-Step Method

Complete one numbered step before moving to the next. Keep the heat and timing exactly as written.

Chef Notes & Tips

Partial blending gives body without turning chicken and vegetables into an indistinct purée.

Ingredient choices: Use red lentils, which soften readily, and even chicken pieces. Curry powders vary, so assess the chosen blend before using the full amount. A tart apple contributes freshness rather than turning the soup into a sweet fruit dish.

Cooking control: Cook the aromatic vegetables and spices before adding lentils and stock. Simmer until lentils soften and chicken reaches 74°C. Add the coconut finish and adjust lemon after judging the apple’s acidity.

If something goes wrong: A thick, settling soup may need a little hot stock and regular stirring at the base. Raw-tasting curry powder needs sufficient cooking in the early stages. If apple dominates, increase the unsweetened soup portion.

Ingredient Substitutions

• ↔ Use chickpeas instead of chicken and vegetable stock for a vegan version; cream can replace coconut milk.

Food Safety & Doneness

Keep raw poultry separate from ready-to-eat food and do not wash it. Check the thickest flesh and any stuffing reach at least 74°C with a food thermometer; colour and timing alone are not reliable. For hot soup, use an immersion blender with its head submerged, or cool sufficiently before using a blender approved for warm liquids. Never seal hot soup in a closed cup blender.

Serving & Plating

Serve hot with the chicken and vegetables evenly distributed. Keep any rice or bread accompaniment separate from the soup’s stated ingredient yield.

Storage

Refrigerate promptly in shallow covered containers at 4°C or below and use within 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed to at least 74°C throughout. Discard food left unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C.