Mulligatawny Soup

Mulligatawny Soup was actually the anglicized version of the Tamil “Melligu -Thani”. (“Melligu” meaning pepper and “Thanir” meaning water). As the name suggests it was originally just pepper in a watery soup.

The original Mulligatawny Soup can be traced back to the early days of the East India Company in Madras to around the 18th century. It was originally a soup made with chicken or mutton/lamb stock. Mulligatawny Soup had no history in India before the British Raj. Supposedly, it was simply an invention to satisfy the Britishers, who demanded a soup course for dinner from a cuisine that had never produced one till then. The Tamil servants in those days concocted a stew like dish, that contained pepper and water on the lines of their local “Rasam” or “Melligu –Thanir. It was an interesting mix of East meets West, and was the nearest thing to soup in the cuisine of Colonial India.

In course of time a lot of other ingredients such meat, chicken, coconut, turmeric and other spices were added to give it a completely different flavour. A variety of “Mulligatawnies”, then came into existence which quickly became popular throughout the Common Wealth. Recipes for mulligatawny were quickly brought back to England by the British and its popularity spread through out the country. It has made a lasting impression on British cuisine right down to the present day, though it has undergone many changes. It is still an excellent “Comfort” dish on a cold rainy day and will surely lift the spirits when one is down in the dumps.

Mulligatawny Soup is now firmly entrenched not just in cookbooks but history books as well as a thick, spicy meat soup which is a wholesome meal in itself served with bread or rice. It has remained popular in the United Kingdom and is now available even in cans in some stores. The Mulligatawny Soup of today bears little resemblance to the original “MELLIGU -THANI”. And despite the name, pepper itself is not an important ingredient in the dish.

Though purported to be a classic Anglo-Indian dish since it came into existence during the Colonial Era, and was very popular then, Mulligatawny is not a typical Anglo-Indian dish. The real dish we Anglo-Indians call "Pepper water" is actually closer to the Tamil Rasam than Mulligatawny. Mulligatawny ultimately culminated into our very own Breast Bone pepperwater and various other variations such Shrimp Pepperwater, Dal Pepperwater, Horsegram pepperwater, etc.

CHICKEN MULLIGATAWNY
Serves 6 Preparation time 45 minutes

½ kg chicken chopped into medium size pieces

1-teaspoon chilly powder 2-teaspoons pepper powder

1-teaspoon cumin powder 1-teaspoon coriander powder

1-teaspoon crushed garlic 2 big onions sliced

1 cup coconut paste or coconut milk Salt to taste

2 cloves 2 small pieces cinnamon

2 cardamoms 1 tablespoon oil or butter

Cook the chicken and all the ingredients with 6 to 8 cups of water in a large vessel on high heat till it reaches boiling point. Lower the heat and simmer for at least one hour till the soup is nice and thick. Garnish with mint leaves. Serve with bread or rice.

(Mutton or Lamb could be substituted for chicken)

BREAD PUDDING – THE POOR MAN’S PUDDING

Bread Pudding is an old fashioned dessert that had its humble beginnings in the 13th century in England. It was first known as a "poor man's pudding" as it was created as a means of making use of stale left over bread for poor people to eat. It was just moistened in water, to which a little sugar, spices and other ingredients were added. Today after it has passed through so many centuries, we think of bread Pudding as a Rich Treat.

Bread pudding is a dessert popular in British cuisine. It is also a popular dessert item of Belgian, Spanish and French cuisine as well. The French refer to it by the English name "pudding" without the word "bread" and the Belgians call it “Bodding”. It is also referred to as "Migas" and "Budin de Pan" in Spanish.

For those unfamiliar with this dish, (which I’m sure there aren’t many), bread pudding is typically made the British way, by soaking slices of bread cut into cubes in a mixture of milk, egg, and sugar; adding raisins and spices and baking or steaming the mixture. Actually its taste is not that much different from French toast, except much moister. In Spain, bread pudding is made using stale (usually left-over) bread, suet, eggs, sugar, spices, dried fruit and / or golden syrup. The bread is soaked (often overnight) in some water, squeezed dry, and mixed with the other ingredients. The mixture is transferred into a dish and baked. It is then served with a sweet liquor sauce of some sort, such as whiskey sauce, rum sauce, or just caramel sauce. However in the U K and Southern USA where it is now quite popular, it is typically sprinkled with sugar and eaten cold in squares or slices along with custard sauce. In France oranges and other fruits are added to give it a different flavour.

Bread Pudding was introduced in India by the British during the time of the East India company. It was an easy dessert for the colonial servants to make and became popular in Anglo-Indian cusine which is loved and enjoyed even today. Each family has its own recipe for making bread pudding whether baked or steamed. Adding Condensed milk, cream, etc adds to the taste and calories!!!

Bread pudding can be made into a savoury dish as well by substituting sugar and raisins with chopped tomatoes, green chillies or capsisums / chillie peppers etc. You could experiment and make your own tasty pudding. Of course, one’s choice of bread, the addition of optional ingredients, and the details of preparation can make bread pudding into art form. Bread pudding can be made into a rich heavy dessert or just a simple light dish that even an invalid can digest. The possibilities are endless. Try out the recipes given below.

OLD FASHION BREAD PUDDING

Serves 6 Preparation time 1 hour

3 cups Milk 8 slices of bread cut into cubes
200 grams butter 200 grams sugar
2 beaten eggs 1/4 tsp salt
200 grams raisins and chopped nuts 1 tsp vanilla essence

Heat milk to scalding, and pour over the bread cubes. Set aside to cool for some time then add all the other ingredients. Add more milk if too dry. Pour into a buttered baking pan or dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Serve warm.

The same pudding can be steamed in a pressure cooker as well

MANGO FRUIT PUDDING

An easy to whip up mouth watering dessert that captures the glorious flavours of mangoes.

750 ml mango puree
250 ml condensed or evaporated milk
1 tablespoon unflavoured gelatin
2 tablespoons sugar
250 ml hot water
8 ice cubes

Add the gelatin and sugar to the hot water and stir until completely dissolved and smooth.

In a large bowl mix the mango puree, condensed / evaporated milk and ice cubes together. Add the gelatin mixture and stir until the ice cubes have melted. Pour the mixture into a jelly mould or bowl and chill until set (about 3 hours).

To serve, dip the jelly mould briefly in hot water, then turn onto a plate. Top with slices of fresh mango or strawberry and the left over condensed milk.