Mulligatawny Soup

This soup is amazing. It has an amazing flavor. It has a lot of ingredients but don't let that scare you off. Sam asks for this weekly. I don't make it that often but it is definitely a staple year round even in the summer.

This soup definitely has a little heat but you can back off the cayenne if you don't like spice but even for my kids it isn't too spicy.

Mulligatawny Soup

adapted by Cooks Illustrated

4 medium cloves garlic , 2 peeled and 2 finely minced
1piece ginger (about 1 1/2 inches), peeled and grated (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions , chopped medium
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 medium carrots , peeled and chopped coarse
1 medium rib celery , chopped coarse
1 medium banana (about 5 ounces), very ripe, peeled, or 1 small boiling potato (about 5 ounces), peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
Plain yogurt
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
Basmati Rice

Place the 2 peeled whole garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons of the grated ginger, and the water in a blender. Blend until smooth, about 25 seconds; leave the mixture in the blender jar and set aside. (You will be pureeing the soup right in the blender with the garlic and ginger.)

Heat the butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat until foaming. Add the onions and tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the minced garlic, remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons ginger, curry powder, cumin, cayenne, and flour; stir until evenly combined, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly and vigorously, gradually add the chicken broth. Add the carrots, celery, and whole banana to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree the soup in batches in the blender with the garlic and ginger until very smooth. Wash and dry the pot. Return the pureed soup to the clean pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Warm the soup over medium heat until hot, about 1 minute. (The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Warm over low heat until hot; do not boil.) Ladle the soup into individual bowls, spoon a dollop of the yogurt over each bowl, sprinkle with the cilantro, and serve immediately.

Butter Chicken

 I love Indian food. I guess that is one of the bigger things I miss about Utah and Portland. The wide variety of cuisine. I bet if I went to Boise I would find more amazing restaurants but that is an hour drive and it just doesn't happen very often. Out where I am we have good Mexican, bad Mexican, good Italian, bad Chinese and that is about it. So when I am in the mood for Indian it has to be homemade. I found this recipe for Butter Chicken a while back and it is one of my go to meals. It's pretty easy and I have most everything in my pantry. Also I normally serve this over rice but recently I have been going without the rice and it's still amazing. 

It's a horrible picture but I just wanted to eat it so I took a quick pic.

Butter Chicken

4 pieces Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (cut Into Bite Sized Pieces)
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoons Black Pepper
½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
¼ teaspoons Ground Coriander
¼ teaspoons Cumin
¼ teaspoons Cardamom
1 whole Lime, Juiced
1 whole Onion, Diced
¼ cups Butter
1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Tomato Sauce
1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Petite Diced Tomatoes
1 pint Whipping Cream (I only use 1/2 to 3/4)
1 bunch Chopped Cilantro, to taste
2 cups Basmati Rice (or However Much You Want)

Preparation Instructions

Combine first 9 ingredients and marinate overnight.
Saute the onion in the butter until soft. Add marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat with the lid on. Add the whipping cream (I have used light cream or half-and-half also) and cilantro just before serving over Basmati rice.
Note: this is a little spicy, but you can cut back on the cayenne if you want.