Mulligatawny soup is perhaps one of the most well known Anglo-Indian dishes that came out of the Raj, the period of the British rule of India. Jennifer Brennan’s culinary memoir, Curries and Bugles: A Cookbook of the British Raj, is a solid account of what the cultural and culinary life was like for the British living in India from the late 19th century up to 1947, the time of Indian Independence.  In it she describes how mulligatawny soup is a derivative of South Indian rasam, a watery broth of lentils, ground spices, made slightly sour with tamarind. Since the soup course is not really part of an Indian meal it was most likely a British memsahib (“housewife”), who wanted to offer a unique soup to their guests, and asked her cook to come up with a solution.  It really is that first South Indian cook, and not the memsahib, who should be credited with the innovative idea of merging his staple daily rasam with vegetables and meat to create a satisfying soup.

As the weather turns colder this is a great soup to have as a light meal. This recipe uses local lamb, from La Ferme Albe, but chicken can also be substituted.  Including diced and blanched potatoes, carrots or turnips as a garnish can make this a more substantial soup.  With only a couple of omissions and additions a vegetarian version is quick and easy to make (see end of recipe).