Quick Fix for 2: Mulligatawny soup is a weeknight passage to India

Quick Fix for 2

By Linda Gassenheimer
McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Posted: Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012

HANDOUT - MCT

Let tangy, 20-minute mulligatawny soup be your weeknight passage to India.

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Mulligatawny Soup

2 teaspoons butter

1 cup sliced onion

1/2 cup sliced carrots

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon flour

1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, chopped (1 tablespoon) or 1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/2 cups fat-free, low-salt chicken broth

1 cup water

1/2 cup light coconut milk

Salt and black pepper

1 1/2 cup cooked white rice

1 cup cored, cubed apple

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

4 lemon wedges

HEAT butter over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saucepan. Add onion, carrots, celery and chicken and saute 5 minutes. Add the curry powder, flour and ginger and saute about 30 seconds. Stir in chicken broth, water and coconut milk and simmer 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

DIVIDE rice into 2 large bowls and ladle soup on top. Sprinkle with chopped apple and cilantro. Place lemon wedges on side.

PER SERVING: 469 calories (21 percent from fat), 10.9 g fat (5.1 g saturated, 2.2 g monounsaturated), 82 mg cholesterol, 32.4 g protein, 62.4 g carbohydrates, 5.1 g fiber, 666 mg sodium.

Yield:

2 servings

Mulligatawny soup has Anglo-Indian origins attributed to servants for the English Raj in India. Curry powder and ginger give the soup a pungent flavor, while chicken and freshly diced apple provide a contrast in texture. There are also vegetarian versions using almonds instead of meat.

Authentic curry powder is a blend of freshly ground spices and herbs such as cardamom, chilies, cinnamon, cloves, coriander and cumin. Commercial curry powder comes in two forms: standard and the hotter Madras.

I mentioned mulligatawny soup when I interviewed Indian author Madhur Jaffrey on my radio program and was surprised by the many calls requesting a recipe. I created this tangy, 20-minute version using commercial curry powder and canned light coconut milk.

This soup tastes great the second day. If you have time, make double. Serve with microwaved white rice, about 3/4 cup cooked rice per person.

This meal contains 469 calories per serving with 21 percent of calories from fat.

Wine suggestion: This dish would go nicely with a slightly off-dry white chenin blanc.

Helpful hints

• Curry powder can be found in the spice section of the supermarket. It loses its freshness after 2 to 3 months.

For a printable copy of the recipe, click the link:

Mulligatawny Soup