Mulligatawny Soup

I have adapted this recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's 100 Weeknight Curries cookbook.  It's easy to prepare, tastes delicious and is one of my favourite soups.  Unfortunately when I made it last night I didn't have any coriander and so you won't see any in the photos.  I will update this post next time I make it and hopefully get some better photos.  The soup still tasted wonderful and after a cold and wet weekend it was the perfect Sunday night meal.

What you will need:

3 tablespoons of rice bran or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp curry powder
1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (if you want it spicy)
2 chicken thighs, cut into 1cm cubes
1 cup split red lentils, washed and drained
1.2 litres of chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt (to taste/optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander

What you need to do:

1.  Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan or stock-pot over medium-high heat.  When hot, put in the ginger and garlic and stir for about 10 seconds.

2.  Add the cumin, coriander, curry powder and cayenne (if using) and stir for another 10 seconds.

3.  Add the diced chicken and stir-fry for about 30 seconds.

4.  Add the lentils and mix well.

5.  Add the chicken stock and salt (if using) and bring to the boil.  Partly cover the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the lentils are very soft.

6.  Add the lemon juice and fresh coriander and stir mix well before serving.

I serve this soup with steamed basmati rice and some kind of green vegetable.  You could try my Indian Spiced Green Vegetables, or simply stir fry some fresh English spinach with garlic and cumin.  The rice can be added to the soup or soup can be spooned over the rice as you eat it.