Mulligatawny Stew

Mulligatawny is one of those soups that goes best with a cold winter day. It’s a snap to make and very adaptable to your choice of protein — meat or plant-based. As far as cooking it, you can let a Dutch oven or large pot do all the heavy lifting for you.

Full disclosure: The first time I heard of mulligatawny, I thought it was really complicated. Rarely does a single recipe tick all the boxes. Vegetables? Check. Lentils? Check. Hearty protein? Check. And after all that, is it really filling and full of flavor? Oh yes! It tastes like a complex dish that took hours of hard work, when in reality it only took a little bit of chopping and 20 minutes of inactive stove time to make a really delicious stew! 

Mulligatawny is the Anglo version of a stew that originated in Southern India. It was adapted by the British, who made it their own (not the first or the last time that’s happened, am I right?). The original (Indian) version was lighter and added tamarind for tanginess. The newer versions are creamy, and chock-full of lentils and vegetables. There have been many versions of this dish over the years, but they all seem to have the following ingredients in common: lentils or rice, vegetables, and apples. The apples add a unique tartness and sweetness, and I also love the soft texture they lend to this stew.

The main ingredients used to make this endlessly adaptable stew are vegetables, lentils, chicken, and spices. It’s tangy, slightly sweet, and a little spicy, with lots of layered flavors. As far as texture, it has chunky pieces of veggies and apple as well as body and thickness from the lentils. Shredded chicken adds a nice bite and depth of texture. 

If I still haven’t convinced you to make this, the following substitutions most definitely will!

• Vegetables: I prefer to add firmer vegetables to this stew, as they need to hold up to the cooking time and not get too mushy. My favorites are carrots, zucchini, squash, and eggplant. You can add potatoes or sweet potatoes too. Got a veggie that you need to use up? Toss it in!
• Protein: While I’ve used chicken in this dish, you can also use fish or shrimp. For plant-based options, I love adding a can of chickpeas or large cubes of tofu. Or you can buy your favorite rotisserie chicken, already cooked, then shred and add as directed. One less thing to worry about makes it even faster to put this together!
• Spices: You can take out some of the spices listed here if you prefer, or add in some of your favorite Italian spices instead for a more Italian/Indian kind of a Mulligatawny stew. 
• Broth: I used veggie broth for a neutral flavor. It allows me to add whichever protein I have on hand. You could very easily substitute it with chicken broth for a slightly heavier chicken flavor. 
• Herbs: I’ve used basil, but other herbs that will work wonderfully are tarragon, cilantro, thyme, rosemary, or sage. 
• Dairy: If you’d like to make a plant-based version, one great swap for the heavy cream is cream of coconut or coconut milk. If you’re using coconut cream, using the same amount as specified in the recipe is great. If you’re using coconut milk, add up to a half cup based on your desired creaminess. 

• Spoon over a bed of rice! Jasmine rice or Basmati rice are great. 
• Toast up some Naan in a pan with butter, and use that to scoop up the stew. 
• Serve with large hunks of baguette. 
• Crush up saltines on top of the stew.