MULLIGATAWNY

MULLIGATAWNY 

  The Indian antecedent to my favorite soup, mulligatawny, likely was a thin, spicy lentil broth. The British thickened it, added meat, but, thankfully, kept the glorious Indian spices. —Madhur Jaffrey, author of Curry Nation (Ebury, 2012) Note: To make this dish vegan, substitute coconut oil for the butter and top with silken tofu blended with a bit of lemon juice and salt, instead of yogurt.

Ingredients

9 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tsp. Aleppo pepper (optional)

1⁄2 tsp. cumin seeds

1⁄2 tsp. coriander seeds

1⁄2 tsp. black mustard seeds

2 dried chiles de arbol

1 plum tomato, minced

3 tbsp. minced ginger

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 large yellow onion, minced

1⁄2 jalapeño, minced

1⁄4 cup flour

1 tbsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 1⁄2 tsp. ground turmeric

9 chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 3⁄4 cups red lentils

3 tbsp. minced cilantro

1 cup canned coconut milk

1⁄4 fresh lemon, juiced, plus more to taste

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Plain yogurt, to garnish

Instructions

Cook 5 tbsp. butter, Aleppo, cumin, coriander, mustard, chiles, and tomato in an 8" skillet over high heat until fragrant; set sauce aside. Heat remaining butter in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic, onion, and jalapeño; cook until browned, 15 minutes. Add flour, coriander, cumin, and turmeric; cook until smooth, 2 minutes. Add stock and lentils; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until tender, 45 minutes. Add cilantro; purée. Add coconut milk, juice, salt, and pepper; divide among bowls. Garnish with sauce and yogurt.