Well I finally did it. It took many months, maybe even a couple of years (I could be exaggerating) but I FINALLY got my hands on this recipe. I had been hearing rumours about how delicious it was and that I should really really make it, that I would absolutely love it. It all started when I brought some of my delicious Sweet Potato Aloo Gobi to work one day. After inhaling the fragrant scent of curry and cinnamon as I warmed up my lunch, a co-worker told me that she had a recipe that I just had to try. It had been passed along to her by another co-worker. This is how great recipes go, being shared and passed along from person to person. I often wonder if it's kind of like that telephone game you had to play at parties when you were a kid- do any of the recipes actually resemble the initial recipe that you started with? Everyone likes to add their own touches to a dish, take out something they don't particularly like, add a little something else in. The photocopied recipe that I was given has little substitutions pencilled in along the side. I just love the process in seeing how others change things up. It was also recommended to me that I should leave out the turnip and use rutabaga instead. I have to say that I have never used rutabaga before but I'm happy to substitute just about anything for turnip (not really my favourite of the root vegetables-blech.)
And my verdict? It lived up to all the hype. It's darn delicious. I have made it again since and in a much larger batch this time so that I can enjoy it even longer. The original recipe makes up servings for 4 - go big or go home I say and double that puppy to 8 servings or more at least. I did use rutabaga and I kinda like it- not so pungent and offensive to me as turnip is. The first time I did the recipe I foolishly omitted the raisins ( as I usually have a hate-on for raisins- blech). I corrected my mistake the second time around - you gotta add the raisins, they just add an extra sweetness to the soup. On my first go, as per my co-workers hand written notes in the ledger, I substituted garam masala for curry powder. The next time I used a tbsp of both just for fun. I warn you though- there is a LOT of butter and chicken fat goodness in this soup. I heeded both my co-worker's and my mom's voices in my head- just leave the fat in, it's what makes it extra rich and tasty. Of course they're right (moms are always right you know.)
Serve your finished soup with some bread to soak up all the flavour- I made up an Irish Brown Bread (so nice to mix cultures in your meals, a bit like having the UN at your dinner table) in the picture below. When we made the soup last night, my new sous chef brushed some naan with olive oil (even more fats-yippee), baked it in the oven and cut it into wedges. Perfect.
It's a recipe well worth the wait. It'll be another co-worker envying lunch when I warm it up and fill the lounge with the fragrance of curry...unless your co-workers don't like curry, then they may just not like you very much and leave. Their loss. Cheers!
Mulligatawny Soup
(unknown origin for this version of the recipe)
Serves 4
4 tbsps butter (or 4 tbsps oil)
2 large chicken joints
1 onion (I used 3 shallots as always)
1 carrot, chopped
1 small turnip (or 1/2 a rutabaga), chopped
about 1 tbsp curry powder, 4 cloves, 6 black peppercorns lightly crushed (or just use garam masala, 1 heaping tbsp full)
1/4 cup lentils, rinsed well
3 3/4 chicken stock
1/4 cup golden raisins
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt the butter or heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the chicken and brown all over. Once golden, transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add the chopped carrot, turnip (rutabaga), onions to the pan and stir occasionally, until they become lightly coloured. Stir in the curry powder etc (or garam masala) and cook for a few minutes. Add in the lentils.
Pour the stock in to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the raisins, the chicken, and any of the chicken juices from the plate. Cover and simmer for about one hour and 15 minutes (or so.)
Remove the chicken, discard the skin and bones, and chop the meat into bite-sized pieces. Return to the soup and reheat. Serve piping hot.
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| Note the butter and chicken-fat goodness rising to the top- Yum! |
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