Slow-Cooker Mulligatawny Soup

By Sarah DiGregorio

Updated Nov. 11, 2022

Slow-Cooker Mulligatawny Soup
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
6 hours and 10 minutes
Rating
4(1,302)
Comments
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This soup is the result of British colonizers’ encounters with rasam, a souplike dish from Tamil Nadu, a region in southern India, that’s often made with lentils. “Milagu tannir,” or pepper water, evolved into mulligatawny when the British made it thick, chunky and meaty. In her book “From Curries to Kabobs,” the author Madhur Jaffrey wrote that mulligatawny was “an essential part of my childhood,” as she ate it at the homes of Anglo-Indian friends and in hotels on vacation. Mulligatawny now bears no resemblance to rasam and has many variations; it is a dish that was invented and modified for colonizers’ palates, and thus it has few rules. Ms. Jaffrey noted that “some curry powder has to be included for a true East-West flavor,” as curry powder is more British than Indian. This slow-cooker version is thickened with masoor dal and coconut cream, and enriched with chicken thighs and tart apple.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • ¼cup vegetable oil
  • 8garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
  • 2carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2celery stalks, sliced
  • 1large apple, preferably Granny Smith, peeled, cored and chopped
  • 1pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
  • 1cup masoor dal (split red lentils)
  • 2tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2tablespoons minced ginger (from about 2 inches of peeled ginger)
  • 2teaspoons black or brown mustard seeds
  • 1teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1teaspoon curry powder
  • ½teaspoon ground cayenne, plus more to taste
  • ½teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 4cups chicken broth or stock
  • 1(5-ounce) can coconut cream (about ⅔ cup)
  • Juice of 1 lime (about 1½ tablespoons)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

479 calories; 25 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 686 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine all the ingredients except the coconut cream and lime juice in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Stir in the coconut cream and lime juice. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve in bowls topped with a dusting of cayenne, if desired.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,302 user ratings
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Comments

MT

An excellent flavor profile & nice mix of plant & animal proteins. No need to use a slow cooker though, these ingredients will cook quickly in a pot. I used the slow cooker & made the following changes, which I highly recommend: 1) In step 1, add 1/2 head of cauliflower, in small florets 2) Omit the 1/2 cup oil...not needed! 3) Substitute 1/2 cup coconut milk instead of coconut cream 4) When adding coconut milk & lime juice, also add a cup or so of chopped frozen spinach

terry94705

To the question about adding onion: if you add raw onion to the slow cooker you never get the sweetness of a lightly fried onion. I would leave it out, as Sarah does, or lightly fry it before adding to the cooker.

slowin

Inthe stove-top version of this recipe, there is also one minced onion. Why is it not in this recipe?

Dolly

Technically, mine is still cooking in the slow cooker as I write but still happy to review.. I decided to add an onion and sautéed it in a frying pan along with all whole spices as this created a nice base to layer on rest of the ingredients and so far so good.. flavours and aromas are lovely and smells delicious.. can’t wait to taste!!

Teri H

Chose this recipe for my first foray into slow cooker cookery. Very pleased with the result. This soup is definitely a keeper. Like some other commenters, I questioned the addition of oil in the soup and will omit it next time. I used orange lentils instead of the split lentils and they “disappeared,” but thickened the broth nicely. The apple was a surprise ingredient, which I was doubtful of, but felt it added to the complex flavor profile. I definitely would like to experiment with different vegetables. As a slow cooker noob, I am grateful for the tips about onions, as I would like to add them to the soup next time I make it.

Linda Gerber

Even though I heeded the advice of some other posters who thought it was too bland and upped the spices considerably, this recipe didn't even warrant a comment from the six people who ate it. They are all foodies and, I think, abide by this rule: better to say nothing at all than to say the dish wasn't good. I won't be making Mulligatawny again.

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