Chickpea and Potato Mulligatawny Soup
I slept fitfully last night, and woke this morning with a lot on my mind--overdue work tasks, mounds of laundry, all the recent violence in our country and city. Every time I turn around, there's news of another shooting or violent crime. This doesn't make me scared, necessarily--like I always say, stepping out the door each morning is an act of faith--but it makes me sad. The Fort Hood tragedy touches me on so many levels, especially since I've always been interested in Traumatic Stress Disorder and the Secondary Traumatic Stress that caregivers (like Major Hasan) experience. These wars are leaving deep, destructive ruts in the lives of American families--servicemen and women coming home traumatized, suicide rates skyrocketing, and most Americans not knowing how to recognize or acknowledge this. I don't have an answer, but I'm just sad. I love my little kitchen and the meals around our table, but I've been so aware lately of our larger context. Now, more than ever, we need to be taking care of each other.
Today, that meant making dinner for my friends Tiffany and Chris who just had a baby girl. I always marvel at these juxtapositions--sweet, new life against so much loss. I love taking dinner to new moms. With both my babies, I remember feeling so completely grateful for those folks that showed up on my door with dinner in a bag. Every time, it was hard for me to accept, but I helplessly needed them. My friend Sarah says that mutual dependence is the only way to intimacy. Having children teaches me that every day--I need Mary, I need my hardworking spouse, I need my mothers' group and friends, and they need me. There's no way around it.
Since I seem to do dinner deliveries on a semi-regular basis, I have some rules for myself. They have to be easy, things I would normally make, and dessert is optional. This morning I got out of bed at 6:45 and had to have soup made by 8:00. I knew potatoes and onions would be involved since I just bought a whole box from the organic farm my friend Dana works on. Beyond that, I wasn't sure. Scrounging Time.
Onions, garlic, ginger with curry powder. Then potatoes and apples, chickpeas, coconut milk. According to Wikipedia, mulligatawny means "pepper water" and is a "curry-flavored soup of Anglo-Indian origin." My mom made a version growing up, and past versions of mine have included lentils, carrots, yams. Today's was dictated by a coming-home-from-vacation pantry, and it was delicious. I had it for lunch while the kids were eating Top Ramen, and topped mine with apple, chiles, and a dollop of yogurt.
Turning in tonight after a long day, I'm glad babies are still being born into this crazy world. If all else fails, maybe this photo of Loretta will bring world peace. (My predominant gift is being able to link anything to food and photos of my children.)
Chickpea and Potato Mulligatawny Soup
If you're a meat person, you can put shredded chicken in here, but I don't think it needs it. And if you have some lentils around, you can cook and use them instead of chickpeas. As I intone about about every soup, salt it until it tastes right! There's nothing (or hardly anything) less satisfying than a not-salty-enough soup.
3 Tb. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2" knob of fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 Tb. curry powder, mild or spicy
salt
4 medium potatoes with skin, washed and diced
1 crisp apple, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice
1/2 c. basmati rice
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
1 15 oz. can occonut milk
juice of one lime
1/4 c. brown sugar
Optional garnishes: cilantro, fresh chiles, toasted coconut, diced apple, plain yogurt, green onions
Heat olive oil in a large stockpot. Add onion, garlic, and ginger, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add curry powder, salt, potatoes, apples, rice and garbanzo beans to onion mixture, stir until coated, then add enough water to cover everything by an inch. Bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes, until rice and potatoes are tender.
Add coconut milk, lime juice, and brown sugar, and cook on low heat for 10 more minutes--don't bring it to a rapid boil since coconut milk can curdle. Add more salt to taste and top with any combination of condiments.
November 12, 2009
Reader Comments (12)
What? I can't be the first again!? I must be suffering from insomnia to be up so late again.
Yum!
The coconut, lime and brown sugar looked familiar...Thai carrot soup. I'll have to give this one a whirl once I start cooking again. The more I work, the less I eat and well, I just steam veggies for my kids and they always love the simple things like beans and rice. :)
Sounds good! I always LOVE the pictures of Wyatt and Loretta, and this one is no different! Love her little face. Would you send me a pic of Loretta and Wyatt with my Christmas card...that I will be eagerly awaiting?! :) he he.
I'm not usually one for curried soups... I love curry in Thai food, but soups... I don't know. This one, however, may change my mind! The combo of the curry and the apples, along with the other spices, quite literally has my mough watering right now - I love being what my husband terms "a foodie"!! :)
I will definitely be trying this soup... once I'm in my new kitchen! Moving day is quickly approaching, so my kitchen is looking a little rougharound the edges, but once I'm settled, this will be on our table! Thanks, Sarah, for always having something fun for me to try! My growing love of cooking thanks you!!! :)
I haven't had Mulligatawny soup in FOREVER!
I love the curry smell.....I think I will try and make it.
I love mulligatawny! With those beautiful apples on top my stomach is craving a bowl.... :)
Sarah, thank you for the delicious meal. The rich flavor and texture of this soup was comforting. I'm also glad you decided to include dessert in the package. =) Since this is our second child, I've had this idea in my head that we shouldn't need as much help, making it difficult to accept meals and offers of childcare or housecleaning. BUT I think it's even tougher for me to manage this time around! I am so grateful to you for your generosity and kindness. Thank you for loving your neighbors...AND for being such a shining star in the kitchen!
Mulligatawny! Great to see a recipe for this without tamarind, since tamarind is a rare commodity in this town. Lovely post, lovely pics - I can't get over your daughter's "modern Shirley Temple-esque" hair, just adorable.
Oh, Sarah, isn't birthing and setting out to raise a baby into a full human being the ULTIMATE optimistic act in life (in addition to being the ultimate experience in delayed gratification!)???? Your warm and hospitable neighborliness, gifts, grace, and presence in the world are SUCH a communicable gesture and model----Thank you! It'll take the community of us together to spread it further!!!! (I'm making chanterelle pizza for the Hospitality potluck---thanks yet again!)
loretta looks precious in that cute new dress...what i can see of it. on a day that feels so crisp it could snow, this looks very comforting.
I have a preschool-sized conversation with my boys about this at least a couple times a week. "Boy, Boys, Roo, Bear, come here. STOP HITTING! Calm DOWN! (deep breath) Okay, we all didn't sleep very well last night and we're all feeling grumpy. We need to work hard to take care of each other today, okay? I need us to be a team today. Let's think about what we can today to help each other."
Of course, it works less than half the time, but I figure that's still pretty good. And I'm so proud of them when they are able to respond and turn things around in that moment. Very proud.
What are your thoughts on making this with sweet potatoes instead of potatoes? I did your version fist, and it's good, but now I have a bunch of sweet potatoes and no potatoes in the pantry, I'm a-wonderin....