Vegetarian Mulligatawny Soup Recipe - My Cooking Journey (2024)

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

Chinese Hot and Sour Soup

Vegetarian Miso soup

Thai Tom Yum Soup

Vegetable Tofu and Sotaghon Soup

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