Mulligatawny Soup / Chicken Corn Lentil Soup

Mulligatawny soup is a lentil soup with mild spice level. This soup can be made as a vegetarian soup as well as with chicken. I have prepared it as a chicken soup with sweet corn in it. It serves well for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

1. Red Lentil / Pigeon peas (Masoor dal / Toor dal) - 1 cup
2. Split green gram dal (split mung dal)- 1 cup
3. Oil - 1 tbs
4. Onion, sliced - 1 cup
5. Ginger, chopped - 1 tsp
6. Garlic, chopped - 1 tsp
7. Chopped carrot - 1 cup
8. Chopped tomato - 1 cup
9. Chicken broth - 4 cups
10. Chicken breast, chopped to very small pieces - 1/2 kg
11. Pepper powder -1-2 tsp
12. Sweet corn - 1 cup
13. Lemon juice - 1/4 cup +2 tbs
14. Coconut milk - 1 cup
15. Salt to taste
16. Coriander leaves, chopped - 1 tbs

For masala powder:

1. Coriander seeds - 1.5tsp
2. Cumin seeds - 1.5 tsp
3. Aniseed - 1.5 tsp
4. Cinnamon stick- 1/2 inch

Method:

1. Dry roast all ingredients for masala powder in a hot pan until it gives out nice aroma, about a minute.
2. Grind the above to make fine masala powder
3. Heat oil in a big heavy bottomed pan or pressure cooker
4. Saute ginger, garlic and onion  for 2-3 minutes in medium flame
5. Add carrot to the above and saute for 2 more minutes
6. Add masala powder and chopped tomato and give a stir
7. Wash and clean toor dal and mung dal  and add the same to the above
8. Add chicken broth and 2 cups of water and cook till the lentils are well cooked. I cooked it in pressure cooker with weight on for about 20 minutes
9. Keep the soup aside to bring to room temperature
10. Marinate chicken with 2 tbs lemon juice, salt and pepper 
11. Heat 2 tbs oil in a pan and stir fry chicken until the chicken starts to change from white to golden color. Chicken need not turn brown color.
12. Keep chicken aside for later use.
13. Once the soup comes to room temperature blend it well in a blender and pass it through a mesh sieve
14. Heat the soup again and add salt, sweet corn and chicken to it,
15. When sweet corn and chicken is cooked well, add coconut milk to it under low flame.
16. Once the soup starts to bubble, switch off  the stove, add 1/4 cup of lemon juice and coriander leaves.

Serve hot soup with a sprinkle of pepper powder on top!

I am linking this post to FridayFiesta#95 co hosted by  Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Petra @ Food Eat Love.