Mulligatawny - Away A While Recipe Favorites

Mulligatawny

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Mulligatawny is an English version of an Indian soup that is usually made with curry and a small amount of chicken. The name literally means "pepper water". Although Bob and I had many soups while we were in India, we were never served this one, and, to my great embarrassment, I had never made it. Several weeks ago, I was introduced to the cooking of Madhur Jaffrey and her recipe for the soup caught my attention. I promised myself to try it once the activity in my kitchen moved from mazurka to waltz time and that opportunity presented itself last night. I was so excited about the results that I almost bumped my scheduled post. I stopped only because I wanted to see how this soup aged. I had it again for lunch today and I'm really happy to report my socks are still going up and down. This recipe is a treasure, especially for those who like food with a little bite. The predominant flavors here are garlic and ginger but they are perfectly balanced and neither will overwhelm the palate. I know the recipe looks involved but better than half the ingredients are spices and the soup is really easy to make. I have made very few changes to the original version. I did find the soup to be very thin, so I doubled the amount of potatoes used to thicken it and I used chicken thighs rather than the breast called for in the original recipe. I served the soup with rice for those who wanted something a bit more substantial. I really hope you will try this. I found it to be extraordinary and it will appear often on my table. The recipe can be found here.

                    

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Mulligatawny

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Mulligatawny is an English version of an Indian soup that is usually made with curry and a small amount of chicken. The name literally means "pepper water". Although Bob and I had many soups while we were in India, we were never served this one, and, to my great embarrassment, I had never made it. Several weeks ago, I was introduced to the cooking of Madhur Jaffrey and her recipe for the soup caught my attention. I promised myself to try it once the activity in my kitchen moved from mazurka to waltz time and that opportunity presented itself last night. I was so excited about the results that I almost bumped my scheduled post. I stopped only because I wanted to see how this soup aged. I had it again for lunch today and I'm really happy to report my socks are still going up and down. This recipe is a treasure, especially for those who like food with a little bite. The predominant flavors here are garlic and ginger but they are perfectly balanced and neither will overwhelm the palate. I know the recipe looks involved but better than half the ingredients are spices and the soup is really easy to make. I have made very few changes to the original version. I did find the soup to be very thin, so I doubled the amount of potatoes used to thicken it and I used chicken thighs rather than the breast called for in the original recipe. I served the soup with rice for those who wanted something a bit more substantial. I really hope you will try this. I found it to be extraordinary and it will appear often on my table. Here's the recipe.

Mulligatawny...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Madhur Jaffrey

Ingredients:
12 ounces red split lentils
2 quarts chicken stock
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 or 2 medium russet potatoes (8 to 16 ounces)
10 cloves garlic, peeled
3 inch piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely grated
9 tablespoons water + 2 cups
14 ounces chicken breast or thigh, boned and skinned
2-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:
1) Combine lentils, chicken stock and tumeric in stock pot or large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, leaving lid slightly ajar, turn heat to low and simmer 30 minutes.
2) While soup is simmering, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2 in dice. After 30 minutes of cooking, add potatoes and continue simmering another 30 minutes with lid slightly ajar.
3) Put garlic and ginger in electric blender or food processor with 9 tablespoons water and blend into a smooth paste.
4) Remove all fat from chicken and cut into 1/2 inch dice. Put chicken in a bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper over it and toss to mix.
5) After soup has cooked for 60 minutes total, puree. Add remaining 2 teaspoons salt and mix.
6) Pour oil into empty skillet or saucepan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add garlic/ginger spice paste, the cumin, coriander and cayenne. Fry, stirring continuously until spice mixture is slightly browned and separates from oil. Put in chicken pieces. Stir and fry another 2-3 minutes, until chicken pieces become opaque. Add reserved 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Add to pureed soup. Stir in lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Simmer soup very gently for another 2 minutes. Yield: 10 servings.

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Chilled Yogurt Mint and Nut Soup - eCurry
Indian Lentil Soup with Fenugreek - Herbivoracious
Kadhi (Spiced Yogurt Soup) - eCurry
Rasam Masala - Niya's World
Mulligatawny Soup - Las Vegas Food Adventures

Red Pepper Soup with Ginger and Fennel

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...My eyes have always been bigger than my stomach. As a child I'd serve myself more food that could possibly be eaten and when visiting the library withdrew more books than could reasonably be read. Moderation was not a trait I treasured or even tried to emulate. I thought it came with naturally with age, much like wrinkles or wisdom. Obviously, it doesn't and while I've earned wrinkles aplenty and gained a bit of wisdom in the process, I still go off on tangents. I've been able to channel food from the plate to my blog and devoted a rather large portion of what I read to assuring that plate is never empty or my blog bereft of words, but every so often something triggers a tangent that simply must run its course. I hold Marcella Hazan and Madhur Jaffrey completely responsible for my latest derailment. I needed just one recipe from each of them to reach a goal I'd set for myself, but research into their lives loosed the hounds of hell and I found myself testing far more recipes than I needed. I have a couple that I'd like to share with you this week. The first is a recipe for a soup from Madhur Jaffrey. I made it again tonight and my socks are still going up and down. I think you know me to be a truth teller, so, please believe me when I tell you this is ambrosia, pure and simple. The soup is really easy to make and if you like strongly flavored food I think you'll love it. You really must try this. The predominant flavor is that of red bell pepper, but a hint of ginger and cayenne warm it slightly and make it a perfect light summer soup. You can have this molten treasure on the table in less than an hour, and it can be made ahead of time. It would be a perfect first course for a more formal meal. Please, please, please give this one a try. You won't regret it. Here's the recipe.

Red Pepper Soup with Ginger and Fennel...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Madhur Jaffrey

Ingredients:
2 pounds sweet red bell peppers
4 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium potato (about 4 ounces), peeled and chopped
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5-5 1/2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
5-6 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:
Chop the peppers coarsely after discarding all the seeds. Pour the oil into a large, wide pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the peppers, onions, potatoes, ginger, fennel seeds, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne. Stir and fry until all the vegetables just start to brown. Add 2 cups of the stock and the salt. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer gently for 25 minutes. Ladle the soup in batches into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the blended soup into a clean pot. Add the remaining stock, thinning the soup out as much as you like. Add the cream and mix it in. Adjust salt, as needed. Heat through before serving. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.







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50 Women Game-Changers in Food - #7 Madhur Jaffrey - Prawn Curry

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The weeks are rolling by, and the group of bloggers who are working their way through the Gourmet Live list of 50 Women Game-Changers in food, are focusing on the recipes of Madhur Jaffrey for the week. If Julia Child and Marcella Hazan are credited with bringing French and Italian food to the American table, Madhur Jaffrey must also be recognized for introducing the American and British public to the best of the food from her beloved India. She is a noted chef and expert in Indian cuisine, but, interestingly, she had not planned on a career as a food writer or teacher. When she was 19 years old, she left her home in India to study at England's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She didn't like the food the college provided for its students and there were few Indian restaurants in London where she could satisfy her craving for good Indian food. She began to cook because she wanted to recreate the food of her childhood. With the help of her mother, who sent letters containing advice and recipes, she began to cook the simpler of the dishes she remembered. She became an actress of note, but when Craig Claiborne ran a story about her in the New York Times, she also became known for her cooking and writing skills. She considered her cooking career to be accidental, but she took it as seriously as she did her work in the theater. She has, to date, written 15 cookbooks and one memoir. That's mighty serious.

I've chosen a light but spicy shrimp dish to represent her cooking. The preparation comes from Southern India, and, while it's delicious, it is spiced with a quantity of cayenne pepper that may be too much for some palates. While purists will be unhappy, I suggest that those of you who have a low heat tolerance cut way back on the amount of cayenne used to make this dish. I've found that 1/4 teaspoon is perfect for those not familiar with the fire of some Indian dishes. I also recommend that you toast the coriander and cumin seeds that are used in the recipe. While it certainly is not necessary, straining the sauce before adding the shrimp makes for a more attractive presentation. This is a lovely curry. I hope that you will give it a try. Here's the recipe as it was written by Madhur Jaffrey.

Prawn Curry...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Madhur Jaffrey

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon red paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 (14-1/2 ounces) can coconut milk, well stirred
3/4 teaspoon salt or salt to taste
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 pound peeled and deveined medium-sized uncooked prawns (shrimp)

Directions:
1) In a large saucepan, combine 1-1/4 cups water with the cayenne pepper, paprika, turmeric, garlic and ginger. Mix well. Grind the coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a clean coffee grinder and add to mixture.
2) Bring the spice mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and is reduced somewhat.
3) Add the coconut milk, salt, and tamarind paste, and bring to a simmer.
4) Add the prawns (shrimp) and simmer, stirring occasionally, until they turn opaque and are just cooked through. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper as required to taste. Serve while hot. Yield: 4 servings.

The following bloggers are also paying tribute to Madhur Jaffrey this week. I hope you'll visit all of them.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette - Healthy Living
April - Abby Sweets
Katie - Making Michael Poland Proud
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Kathleen -Bake Away with Me
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Sue - The View from Great Island

Next week we will highlight the food and recipes of Judith Jones. If you'd like to join us please email me for additional information. Everyone is welcome.