No Soup for You? Mulligatawny, Seinfeld, and a Sister’s Tummy

A deep dive into the origins of Mulligatawny soup, including the traditional colonial 1845 recipe and a modern twist on the classic.

Mulligatawny Soup with apple yoghurt and herb oil

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I never imagined that a bowl of soup could carry the weight of empire, dietary diplomacy, sitcom nostalgia, and sibling care, all at once, but here we are. This week, as I prepare for my sister Helen’s visit, I found myself pondering the impossible: how to cook something delicious, nurturing, and gentle on the tummy that would pass her meticulous list of dietary exclusions.

As you can imagine, my usual spice forward repertoire came under immediate scrutiny. Whilst Helen graciously suggested “Soup and Salad would be perfect”, I took it as a culinary challenge. So I’ve been racking my brain for warm, fragrant, tummy friendly soups, without too much spice, no meat, dairy, gluten or potatoes. Dahl came to mind of course, and there will be some Marcella Italian soups to make, but then I remembered Mulligatawny Soup and the Seinfeld “Soup Nazi” episode. So the deep dive into this soup began.

I’ve been an enthusiast for Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine since my early years, but never once had I been served Mulligatawny soup by friends or on my travels, so I didn’t really know what it was. A quick search lead me to the basic elements of this soup, but it still intrigued me. What’s all the fuss about Mulligatawny soup?

Acton, Eliza. “Modern Cookery in All Its Branches Reduced to a System of Easy Practices, For the Use of Private Families: In a Series of Receipts Which Have Been Strictly Tested and Are Given with the Minute Exactness”. London. Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans. 1845.

A Colonial MashUp with a Legacy

Mulligatawny is, in many ways, a dish born of misunderstanding. Its name comes from the Tamil words milagu tanni or pepper water, a simple, spiced broth similar to a pepper rasam. In the time of the Raj, British colonials found it intriguing but too thin, too foreign. In their hands, or more correctly their Indian cooks hands, it became thicker, heartier and anglicised, sometimes including meat or chicken, apples, and rice. This soup was a product of empire, so I turned to the historical records to find out more.

In Eliza Acton’s Modern Cookery (1845)¹, Mulligatawny appears as a gently spiced, pureed soup, made from onions, vegetable marrow, cucumbers, tart apples, and a generous helping of curry powder.

Historical photos from the time of the Raj, the time of Mullagatawny

Vegetable Mullagatawny - Tradition Recipe (1845)

From Eliza Acton, Modern Cookery, in All Its Branches (1845)¹
A soup of mellow flavour and hearty consistency, suited to the vegetarian table or as a delicate first course in the Anglo-Indian tradition.

Ingredients

• 115 gm (4 oz) Butter

• 1350 gm (3 lbs) Vegetable marrow, pared and scooped

• 4 Large mild onions

• 4 Large cucumbers, 6 middling-sized

• 3-6 Apples (acid) according to taste

• 3 heaped Tbs Mild currie powder

• 1 Tbs Salt

• 2 quarts Water, broth, or good stock

Mrs Arnott’s Currie Powder¹

• 225 gm (8 oz) Turmeric

• 115 gm (4 oz) Coriander seed

• 55 gm (2 oz) Cumin seed

• 55 gm (2 oz) Fenugreek seed

• 15 gm (0.5 oz) Cayenne

Method

• Dissolve the butter in a large stewpan, or thick iron saucepan. When it is on the point of browning, throw in the sliced onions, followed by the vegetable marrow cut in large dice and cleared of skin and seeds. Add also the cucumbers, pared, split, and emptied likewise of their seeds, and from three to six large, acid apples, according to taste.

• Shake the pan often and stew the whole over a gentle fire until tolerably tender. Then mix in the currie powder and salt, and allow the vegetables to stew from twenty to thirty minutes longer.

• Pour in sufficient boiling water (or broth, if preferred) to just cover the vegetables. When they are reduced almost to a pulp, press the whole through a hair-sieve with a wooden spoon, and return to a clean stewpan. Add enough additional liquid to make two quarts, including that which was first added.

• Give any further flavouring that may be needed, whether salt, cayenne, or acid, and serve the soup extremely hot. Should any butter appear on the surface, let it be carefully skimmed off, or stirred in with a small quantity of arrow-root to absorb it. Rice may be served therewith at pleasure.

• Tomatoes, when in season, may be used in place of apples, divided and freed from their seeds. The soup may likewise be converted into a plain vegetable potage or heightened in savour by browning the vegetables before stewing, and using a rich brown stock in place of water.

Being a novice with this soup, after reading through its history, and a few modern interpretations of the classic, I could see the path to creating my own version of Mulligatawny for Helen. What emerged was my own take, anchored in gently sautéed onion and garlic, softened carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, and apple. A mellow spice blend using my house Sri Lankan white curry powder. A swirl of coconut milk. Lentils and rice for body. And a spoonful of sweet apple yoghurt with spiced onions to finish.

It shares more DNA with Acton’s¹ version than I expected. Both are vegetarian and subtly spiced. Both blur softly between savoury and sweet. Where hers is strained through a sieve, mine is half-blended to retain texture. Where hers is butter-rich, mine turns to coconut for a creamy finish, and my little flourish with spiced apple yoghurt is a fitting update to this mysterious soup that has found it’s way into our lexicon via Seinfeld and the soup nazi.

Mulligatawny Soup

My Way (For Helen)

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely diced onion

• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced

• 1 tbsp grated ginger

• 1 tbsp Sri Lankan white curry powder

• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

• 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds

• 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

• 1 1/4 cups diced tomato

• 1 cup basmati rice (washed)

• 1/3 cup red lentils (washed and soaked)

• 1.5 L stock (chicken or vegetable)

• 1 1/4 cups diced carrots (1 cm cubes)

• 1 cup diced pumpkin

• 1/2 cup sweet potato

• 1 cup diced apple

• 150 mL coconut milk

• Juice of 1/2 lime

Garnish

• 1/2 onion, very finely diced

• 2 tbsp olive oil, ghee, coconut oil or butter

• 1/2 red chilli, very finely diced

• 1/2 tsp Maldive fish chips

• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

• 3/4 apple with skin, coarsely grated

• 1/2 cup yoghurt or coconut yoghurt

• Coriander chutney or herb oil to serve

Method

• In a large saucepan, heat oil and add the onion. Sauté over moderate heat for a few minutes until softened, then add the garlic and ginger and continue sautéing until translucent.

• Add the Sri Lankan white curry powder, turmeric, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Sauté for a minute until aromatic, then stir in the tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften.

• Add the rice and red lentils, stirring to coat with the spice mixture. Pour in the stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 10 minutes.

• Add the carrots, pumpkin and sweet potato. Cook for a further 10 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften, then add the diced apple.

• Once the apple is cooked but still holds its shape, stir in the coconut milk and balance the flavours with lime juice.

• Remove half the soup and set aside. Use a stick blender to blend the remaining soup until smooth. Return the reserved portion to the pot and stir through. This creates a soup with body and a velvety texture.

• While the soup simmers, make the garnish: in a small pan, heat the oil and sauté the finely diced onion and red chilli until lightly golden. Add the Maldive fish and Kashmiri chilli, then remove from heat.

• To make the sweet apple yoghurt, mix the grated apple with yoghurt or coconut yoghurt. Top with the onion garnish. Serve a generous spoonful of this on each bowl of soup, with a drizzle of coriander chutney or herb oil.

Mulligatawny Soup

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This soup is my gentle homage to a much altered dish. It’s spice layered without heat, nourishing without heaviness. It bridges history, humour, and hospitality. And most importantly, it gave me a way to cook for my sister with love and intention.

If you’ve ever found yourself trying to cook a meal that comforts and heals, while carrying a story too, my Mulligatawny might be your soup too, or perhaps try the original recipe. Just don’t ask the Soup Nazi for it.

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©Lisa McLean 2025

References

1. Acton, Eliza. “Modern Cookery in All Its Branches Reduced to a System of Easy Practices, For the Use of Private Families: In a Series of Receipts Which Have Been Strictly Tested and Are Given with the Minute Exactness”. London. Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans. 1845. p35-38