Mulligatawny with Chicken, Red Lentils and Coconut
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking, Serious Eats and America's Test Kitchen.
A warming, gently spiced soup of chicken, red lentils, carrots and apple, cooked with mustard seeds, turmeric and cumin and finished with coconut milk and lime. Thick, golden and satisfying enough for a main course.
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Method
- 1
Soften the onion. Heat the oil in the casserole over medium-high heat, add the onion and 0.5 tsp salt, and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent. The salt draws out moisture so the onion softens evenly without scorching.
- 2
Bloom the spices. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Tip in the mustard seeds, turmeric, curry powder, cayenne and cumin seeds and stir constantly for about 90 seconds, until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Frying spices in oil releases flavour compounds that only dissolve in fat, giving a deeper, rounder taste.
- 3
Add vegetables and flour. Stir in the carrots, celery and apple and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato purée, then the flour, and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring so everything is evenly coated. Cooking the flour briefly removes its raw taste and later helps thicken the soup smoothly.
- 4
Simmer until thick. Add the chicken, lentils, broth, water and 0.5 tsp salt and bring to the boil, scraping up anything stuck to the base. Reduce to a simmer, cover for 10 minutes, then uncover and simmer for 15-20 minutes more, stirring often, until the lentils collapse and the chicken reaches 74 °C. The red lentils break down completely, giving the soup its creamy body without any blending.
- 5
Finish with coconut. Stir in the coconut milk and heat through without letting it boil hard, then add the lime juice. Taste, add a splash of water if it is very thick, and serve scattered with coriander. Lime added at the end keeps its fresh sharpness to cut through the richness.
Storage
Cool and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently, stirring and adding a splash of water, until piping hot (74 °C) throughout. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- large casserole or heavy pot (at least 5 litres) with a lid
- wooden spoon
- chopping board and sharp knife
- instant-read thermometer
- ladle
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 477 kcal |
| Protein | 26.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 38.7 g |
| of which sugars | 7.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 25.8 g |
| of which saturates | 14.2 g |
| Fibre | 6.4 g |
| Salt | 2.35 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.6 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
