Vegan Mulligatawny Soup (+instant Pot)

This Vegan Mulligatawny Soup recipe is so comforting yet easy to make in less than 30 minutes. It is a richly flavoured lentil soup loaded with hearty root vegetables, apples, red lentils and curry powder.

My take on the classic Anglo-Indian Mulligatawny curry soup can be laid on the table in no time, especially when using the Instant Pot. Stovetop method provided.

What is the origin of Mulligatawny Soup?

Pronounced [muhl-ee-guh-taw-nee]

Mulligatawny soup is a classic Anglo-Indian soup that was prepared during early days of the British Raj.

According to the early English cookbooks, Indian style Mulligatawny soup was very popular amongst the Britishers in India during the British Raj.

It’s conception was due to British soldiers who required soup with their meals. Local Indian cooks prepared a recipe that satisfied their palate.

The word mulligatawny originates from the TAMIL words MILAGAY (chilli) OR MILAGU (pepper) and TANNI (water or broth)

The traditional Indian version of Mulligatawny soup is thin and prepared with Indian spices and ingredients such as tamarind, curry leaves, mustard seeds, red chillies, peppercorn and onion.

No meat was originally part of the recipe. This pepper water or broth from Sri Lanka (in South Indian cuisine is known as Rasam) is eaten with rice.

By 1800s, the British version of the recipe began to appear in the English cookbooks.

References are also mentioned in Curry: A Take of Cooks and Conquerors, a book by Lizzie Collingham: “mulligatawny soup was one of the earliest dishes to emerge from the new hybrid cuisine which the British developed in India, combining British concepts of how food should be presented … and Indian recipes”

The Anglo-Indian mulligatawny soup from colonial times would be made with meat however this vegetarian version is prepared with red lentils.

In this vegetarian mulligatawny soup recipe, instead of tamarind, apples are added for the tanginess and meat and English vegetables are added as a variety for the British.

Luckily a vegan version of this soup now exists so the delicious flavours of both cuisines can be enjoyed in one bowl.

Ingredients:

See the recipe card for the full ingredient list with measurements

Apples – You can use any firm and tart variety apple. I like to use Granny Smith. If you have sweet apples, use a drop or two of lemon juice or lime juice for tartness.

Carrots and parsnips – I have used fresh carrots and parsnips. If fresh are not available, use frozen or canned.

You can add swede or regular potato if parsnip is not available.

Sweet potatoes – as an alternative, you can use butternut squash if you have it to hand.

Onion and garlic – I have used one large white onion and a few cloves garlic.

Red chilli and ginger – use fresh red chillies where possible. If you cannot find red chillies, use cayenne pepper or red chilli powder when adding the spices.

Leave out chillies if you do not like them. Note that the soup will not be spicy even with the chillies, the chilli simply adds flavour not heat.

Tomatoes – I have used fresh tomatoes. You can also add in a squeeze of tomato paste to intensify the tomato flavour but I prefer it without.

Red lentils – lentils are common in Indian food. You can easily find split red lentils in supermarkets and in Indian shops where they are sold as Masoor ki Daal.

Curry Powder – do not miss out this ingredient – after all this is Mulligatawny soup! We have used homemade Indian curry masala powder but you can use store-bought madras curry powder too.

In the 1800s, curry powder was added to Indian dishes by the British as a ready-made ingredient.

Olive oil – you can also use vegan butter or another flavourless oil.

Full-fat coconut milk to make the soup extra creamy and rich. You can use lite coconut milk if you wish

Spices and herbs – Along with curry powder, I have used freshly ground black pepper and fresh cilantro leaves for garnish (coriander)

Vegetable stock or broth – fresh or store-bought.

Nuts – roasted cashew nuts for crunch.

Tips

• Use fresh ingredients where possible as they are more tender and have fresh flavours.
• While sautéing the onion and garlic, be vigilant not to burn or brown them as burnt onion and garlic give a bitter taste.
• Work fast when adding the ingredients or else the food at the bottom will begin to burn. Ideally, it should all be prepped and ready beforehand.
• Be cautious in adding spices – too much spice will overwhelm the soup.
• Note that garam masala is not a direct substitute for curry powder – they both have different tastes.
• Garnish your soup with finely chopped herbs and pour over a little vegan milk or coconut cream.

Instant Pot Mulligatawny Soup

I have always made my soups in pressure cookers, even before I owned an instant pot.

The plus point of using pressure cookers is that the time taken to cook the lentils and soup is greatly reduced. You also preserve the nutrients when pressure cooking.

The red lentils do not need soaking before hand but do wash them prior to adding to the soup.

If you want to keep the soup chunky, cut the veggies evenly in size. If you are going to blend the soup smooth, then it doesn’t matter too much.

Follow the step-by-step instructions below.

Select Sauté mode and pour oil into the inner pot. Tip in roughly chopped onions, garlic, red chillies and ginger.

Sauté for a few minutes or until the onions have softened. Take care not to burn the ingredients. Keep deglazing the pan if needed.

Tip in the chopped vegetables and apples.

Mix and add washed split red lentils.

Cover the lentils by adding in around 2 cups vegetable broth. Add curry powder, a generous pinch of salt and black pepper.

Give everything a really good stir. Cancel the Sauté function.

Close the lid and select High Pressure for 7 minutes . I like to allow Natural Pressure Release .

You can leave the soup chunky or blend it until smooth using an immersion blender or hand blender.

Pour in a splash of coconut milk. Once the soup is plated, garnish with some coriander leaves and chopped cashew nuts.

stovetop

In a large pan or heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil on medium heat. Add the ingredients as stated in the Instant Pot method.

Cover the pan with a lid and allow the soup to cook until the lentils are mushy and the vegetables tender. Keep checking to see if you need to top up with veggie stock.

Blend or keep chunky.

Serving

The best way to serve soup is piping hot.

Serve it in a ceramic bowl, top it up with coconut or almond milk, a heap of freshly chopped herbs such as coriander and freshly ground black pepper or red chilli flakes.

Serve Mulligatawny soup with either crusty bread like Tiger Rolls or this Sundried Tomato Soda Bread for a classic British hearty meal.

These Vegan White Bean Bruschetta or Vegan Thyme Oatcakes would make a unique but delicious accompaniment to make a complete meal.

Why not try enjoying it the traditional way with some boiled rice? If you’re carb conscious then cauliflower rice or quinoa is a good alternative.

The best time of year to serve soup is in the Autumn and Winter.

Some Indian restaurants will serve mulligatawny as a soup course or starter.

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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Vegan Mulligatawny Soup

Equipment

• Instant pot
• Blender

Ingredients

Soup

• 1 white onion medium onion roughly chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 red chilli medium hot, fresh, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1 apple roughly chopped
• 2 carrots peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 sweet potato peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 parsnip peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tomato chopped
• 75 grams red lentils cleaned and washed
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 250 ml coconut milk

Garnish/Topping

• 2 tablespoon coconut milk optional
• 2-3 tablespoon cilantro freshly chopped
• 4 tablespoon cashew nuts lightly toasted (optional)
• ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes optional

Instructions

• Place stainless steel liner in the instant pot, select the SAUTE function.
• Add oil and allow to heat. 2 tablespoon oil
• Add onion, ginger, garlic and chilli 1 white onion, 3-4 garlic cloves, 1 red chilli, 1 tablespoon ginger
• Sauté the mixture for another minute or so then add all the vegetables, apples and red lentils. 1 apple, 2 carrots, 1 sweet potato, 1 parsnip, 1 tomato, 75 grams red lentils
• Cancel the SAUTE function.
• Add stock and spice powders and season. 500 ml vegetable stock, 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Close the lid and select the HIGH PRESSURE function for 7 minutes.
• Once done, NPR 10 minutes then carefully open the lid.
• Blend the soup, add coconut milk. 250 ml coconut milk
• Serve piping hot in a bowl and top it up with extra coconut milk, cashews and red chilli flakes. 2 tablespoon coconut milk, 2-3 tablespoon cilantro, 4 tablespoon cashew nuts, 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes

Notes

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Vegan Mulligatawny Soup

Equipment

• Instant pot
• Blender

Ingredients

Soup

• 1 white onion medium onion roughly chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 red chilli medium hot, fresh, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1 apple roughly chopped
• 2 carrots peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 sweet potato peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 parsnip peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tomato chopped
• 75 grams red lentils cleaned and washed
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 250 ml coconut milk

Garnish/Topping

• 2 tablespoon coconut milk optional
• 2-3 tablespoon cilantro freshly chopped
• 4 tablespoon cashew nuts lightly toasted (optional)
• ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes optional

Instructions

• Place stainless steel liner in the instant pot, select the SAUTE function.
• Add oil and allow to heat. 2 tablespoon oil
• Add onion, ginger, garlic and chilli 1 white onion, 3-4 garlic cloves, 1 red chilli, 1 tablespoon ginger
• Sauté the mixture for another minute or so then add all the vegetables, apples and red lentils. 1 apple, 2 carrots, 1 sweet potato, 1 parsnip, 1 tomato, 75 grams red lentils
• Cancel the SAUTE function.
• Add stock and spice powders and season. 500 ml vegetable stock, 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Close the lid and select the HIGH PRESSURE function for 7 minutes.
• Once done, NPR 10 minutes then carefully open the lid.
• Blend the soup, add coconut milk. 250 ml coconut milk
• Serve piping hot in a bowl and top it up with extra coconut milk, cashews and red chilli flakes. 2 tablespoon coconut milk, 2-3 tablespoon cilantro, 4 tablespoon cashew nuts, 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes

Notes

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

This is the best eggless chocolate orange cake recipe with step by step pictures out there. It is an easy, simple and tasty cake recipe that is made with basic baking ingredients. this moist, delicious and flavourful chocolate sponge cake is filled and topped with creamy chocolate and orange frosting and decorated with candied orange slices.

Serve a slice of this cake with our homemade billionaire’s latte or authentic indian masala chai for a blissful experience!

Surprised to see a cake recipe in January? well, like my mum always says every recipe/dish has its own story, and so does for our tasty eggless chocolate and orange Cake.

Cakes are ideal for any celebrations, what’s better than this cake being appropriate for our post, which also happens to be our 1000th blog post on the 10th anniversary.

10th YEAR BLOG ANNIVERSARY!

It has been 10 years today since my mum launched this blog! WOW!

On the 5th of january 2010, she published the first post here just as a hobby and never expected the start of a food blog that will go this far with such a vast number of recipe posts.

Being a foodie herself and the rest of our family too, she loved posting recipes that she learned from my late nanima and grandma, also she learned and experimented with so many recipes on her journey of this blogging world.

Her blogging journey was never sturdy, it was always on and off due to her commitments for the family and her health, and so i have gradually taken the reigns. I hope to continue with the same enthusiasm as her and keep things running.

We are so grateful to you (our readers) for your constant support over the last 10 years, we couldn’t have gotten to where we are without you.

I thank you so much for not only by visiting this site but also re-creating our recipes, pumping up our encouragement, the likes, follows, shares and more.

It means so much to us and we wish for your continued support.

So, here is our virtual treat, for you guys!

If you have tried our Chocolate and Passion Fruit Semolina Cake or Gilded Chocolate and Caramel Maltesers Ombre cake you’ll find this iconic pairing cake hard to resist .

WHY THIS COMBINATION?

While i was at home during the christmas holiday for a couple of days, I watched the documentary wonderful world of chocolate which was all about britain’s favourite confections and came to know lots of things about the history of the chocolates in britain.

Especially I and mum enjoyed watching everything about terry’s chocolate orange. a few decades back, these irresistible chocolates were only available during the festive season, but now all year round and they’re the nation’s favourite.

Have you ever tried terry’s chocolate orange? they started making them in 1932 in yorkshire england. sweet, citrusy goodness all in one. in my opinion, these two best friends or shall we say the best match made in heaven.

Thia is an iconic pairing that has a sharp contrast. while the fruity citrus of the orange blends well with rich and intense flavours of the chocolate and creates an exhilarating experience.

On christmas eve, shops were closed so we couldn’t get terry’s, but luckily we had all the ingredients in our fridge and pantry and the idea for this dessert was born.

when you have cravings for an orange and chocolate dessert , this cake is surely not going to disappoint your taste buds.

MOIST EGGLESS CHOCOLATE  ORANGE CAKE

The delicious cake combines the bitterness of the chocolate with the sweetness of the fresh orange juice and the candied orange to make a delightful and gorgeous cake.

This cake is one of the easiest and can be made by anyone. it is moist, soft, light and spongy.

Soft and silky chocolate and orange frosting prepared with full-fat cream cheese go so well on this cake as well as in between the layers too.

It is made with pretty basic ingredients that can easily found in the kitchen.

This is a great cake that is good enough for anyone and good to serve on occasions like thanksgiving, christmas, etc.

EASY EGGLESS CHOCOLATE ORANGE CAKE!

• This is the best ever chocolate cake you’ll make and enjoy having.

• It’s eggless and butter less.

• This cake is delicious, moist and soft.

• It doesn’t require any fancy ingredients.

• A simple, straight forward and no fail recipe.

• This is the perfect eggless cake, combining chocolate and orange. topped with luscious chocolate and orange frosting. It’s bliss!

• Pair it with strong coffee or enjoy it on its own.

• This can be a perfect treat as a birthday cake, celebration cake or basically any occasion.

• It is a crowd-pleasing cake.

EGGLESS CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE CAKE INGREDIENTS

• Fresh oranges – best and juicy oranges are available in winter, but if not available use 100 percent pure orange juice.

• Flour – Plain or all-purpose flour or maida.

• Chocolate – unsweetened cocoa powder. I have used dutch-processed cocoa powder as this recipe used baking powder and baking soda.

• Orange oil – this oil adds that zing into your bake. whatever the orangy or citrusy flavours you’ll get in this cake, it’s because of this ingredient. a tiny amount (30ml) of natural Orange oil prepared from the rinds of 220 oranges. do you know the secret of terry’s chocolate orange? it lies in this high-quality natural orange oil. if you can’t find orange oil, use orange extract or stir in a zest of an orange.

• Milk – whole milk works best as it enhances the richness of the cake. for a vegan option use any plant-based milk like soya, oat or almond milk.

• Fat – any vegetable oil would work best. the oil keeps, chocolate cake moist and soft.

• Sugar – for the cake itself, granulated sugar, this works for the vegan cake too as nowadays in most of the countries granulated sugar is vegan.

• Icing sugar – for the frosting use icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar. I have used decorating icing sugar as this one is suitable for making buttercream.

• Leavening agents – baking powder and baking soda.

• Apple sauce – to replace the real eggs, i have used apple sauce to bind the cake. apple sauce is made with pureed cooked apples. the Kitchen recommends using 1 tbsp apple sauce per egg.

• Salt – creates balance and makes the cake crave-worthy.

• Vanilla extract – go for a good quality one that will enhance the flavour.

• Cream cheese – full-fat plain cheese. if you are vegan, use vegan cream cheese instead or buy vegan frosting to save you some time.

• Can I replace the plain flour with wheat flour or wholemeal plain flour?

By all means, yes but the cake may not turn out as moist, soft and light. if you are trying this cake for the first time, I would suggest making it with plain flour, just by using wheat flour or wholemeal flour this cake won’t become healthy, you are using sugar, cream cheese, chocolate, and oil after all.

• Can I use melted butter instead of oil?

In chocolate cake recipes oil works best as oil keeps cake moist and soft. if you prefer butter instead, no harm in using it.

• I don’t have apple sauce what can i use to replace eggs in my baking?

• Can I make only one layer cake by halving the measurements you’ve given?

• Can I use shop-bought chocolate icing to frost the cake?

• How easy to make candied orange at home?

• Can I bake this cake without an oven?

• How to store this chocolate orange cake?

• Can I freeze the already frosted cake in the freezer?

TIPS FOR MAKING BEST EVER HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE ORANGE CAKE

1. Always use fresh and best ingredients to bake a cake, especially baking soda and baking powder.

2 .If any doubts, try first by adding a half tsp of soda or baking powder in 2-3 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar. if it doesn’t bubble up or fizz up, that means that soda or baking powder is gone off.

3 . Keep the ingredients at room temperature before using them.

4. Make sure you preheat your oven at the right temperature at least for 15-20 minutes.

5. Be very precise on the measurements, if possible use the kitchen weighing scale, or marked cup and spoons.

6. If possible use good quality cake tins.

7. Don’t trim or cut the sponges while they are warm, wait till completely cooled before icing or frosting the cake.

EQUIPMENT/TOOLS

Oven > 2 big mixing bowls > Egg whisker > Two 9″ round baking tins > Spatula > Saucepan > Palette Knife

MAKING CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE CAKE WITH ORANGE JUICE

Surprisingly, this dessert is very simple and easy to make. chocolate and orange combo, the kingdom of heaven in each slice!!

To simplify I have given cups and tablespoons measurements as well as a metric to this recipe.

1 . Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 350F or 175C. 2 . First grease the 9″ two cake tins with a good amount of butter and line with the parchment or baking paper. 3 . Lightly spray with oil and dust it with cocoa powder. 4 . In a big mixing bowl add flour, salt, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder.

5 . In another bowl, combine milk, oil, vanilla extract and apple sauce and whisk or beat for 2 minutes. 6 . In a saucepan, bring the orange juice to boil. 7 . Add dry ingredients into the wet mixture and combine well. 8 . Pour hot orange juice, little by little and fold everything.

9. Pour the cake mixture into the two cake tins and bake it for 1 hour or until the center is done and a toothpick comes out clean. 10 . Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely on the wire rack. 11 . Remove the parchment paper and leave it aside.

12. While the cake is cooling down make the frosting by creaming the butter and icing sugar together in a bowl using an egg whisker or electric mixer. 13. Add the hot orange juice, cocoa powder, and vanilla, beat with the mixture until well combined. 14 . Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth. 15 . Refrigerate the frosting for half an hour. 16. Assemble the cake, place the first layer of sponge on a cake stand or plate and frost the first layer. 17 . Stack the second sponge and generously frost the top layer.

18 . We frosted the whole cake, but if you want you can leave the sides of the cake naked. 19. Decorate the cake with candied orange slices.

MORE EGGLESS CAKE RECIPES TO TRY

If you like this eggless chocolate orange cake recipe, you may want to try my other cake recipes.

1. eggless ras malai cake – fusion cake prepared with indian dessert ras malai, suitable for birthdays and anniversaries.

2. eggless strawberry pastel de tres leches – soft, moist and fluffy three milk cake with fresh strawberries. ideal for any garden party or high tea.

3. toasted coconut layered cake with coconut butter cream – exotic, delicious and unique in flavour. impress your guest with this cake at your next Easter party. What about eggless cupcakes have a look at these 1. eggles s condensed milk cupcakes

2 . pistachio and cardamom eggless cupcakes with saffron cream cheese frosting

Eggless Chocolate Orange Cake

Ingredients

Dry ingredients for chocolate orange cake batter

• 2 cups plain flour 260g
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 75g
• 2 cup granulated sugar 450g
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda or soda bicarb

Wet ingredients for chocolate orange cake

• 2 tablespoon unsweetened apple sauce
• ½ cup vegetable oil 120ml
• 1 cup whole milk 250ml
• 1 cup orange juice freshly squeezed - 250ml
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange oil or extract

Chocolate Orange Cream cheese frosting

• 4 oz cream cheese 120g plain full fat at room temperature
• 8 tablespoon unsalted butter 96g at room temperature
• 4 tablespoon orange juice 72ml hot
• 2 ½ cup icing sugar 315g - powdered sugar
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 50g
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon orange oil or extract

To finish

• 4-5 candied orange slices

Instructions

Cake batter

• Preheat your oven to gas mark 4 or 350F or 175C.
• Grease the 9″ two cake tins with a generous amount of butter and line with the parchment or baking paper.
• Lightly spray with oil and dust it with cocoa powder.
• In a big mixing bowl add all the dry ingredients and combine well.
• In another bowl, gather all the wet ingredients, whisk or beat for 2 minutes.
• In a saucepan, bring the orange juice to boil.
• Add dry ingredients mixture into the wet mixture.
• Pour HOT orange juice, little by little and mix everything together.
• Pour the cake mixture into the two cake tins and bake it for 1 hour or until the center is done or inserted toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely on the wire rack.
• Remove the parchment paper and leave it aside.

Chocolate, orange and cream cheese frosting

• While the cake is cooling down make the frosting by cream the butter and icing sugar together in a bowl using a mixer.
• Add the hot orange juice, cocoa powder, and vanilla, beat with the mixture until well combined.
• Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth.
• Refrigerate the frosting for half an hour if necessary.

Assemble the cake

• Place the first layer of sponge on a cake stand or plate and frost the first layer.
• Stack the second sponge and generously frost the top layer.
• We frosted the whole cake, but if you want you can leave the sides of the cake naked.
• Decorate the cake with candied orange slices.

Notes

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.