Mulligatawny (Indian Curry Soup) with Naan Recipe

So I’m finally back. We moved in to the new apartment about a week and half ago and I got the last few things unpacked and my pictures hung this weekend so I guess we’re officially settled in. After looking through my cookbooks I went on a grocery shopping spree last week and restocked my new kitchen (LOVE my brand new oven and dishwasher) and I’ve been cooking up a storm since then. Because, seriously, for the two weeks while we were moving, ALL we did was eat at restaurants and fast food places. I was sooooo tired of greasy food by the end of it and I think I’ve had my fill for the foreseeable future.

So for the next month (up until my birthday, exactly a month away), my goal is try as many recipes as possible from my Weight Watchers cookbook. I’m not going to be doing the whole point counting thing (though I have in the past and lost a substantial amount of weight) but I definitely want to concentrate on eating better (more vegetables, whole grains, etc.) and trying to be healthier (using the gym our new apartment has!). I will include points on these recipes for anyone who is point counting and I’ll go back and add them to the few other recipes in my archives that are from the cookbook, too.

Anyway, on the recipe. It’s actually been fairly cold down here in Florida for the past few weeks and when I was looking through the book, the first section I turned to was Soups. This recipe caught my eye because of it’s name. I’m not even going to pretend to act like I know how to pronounce it. I’ll also admit that I haven’t always been a fan of Indian food. But I’m trying to branch out and experience different foods, so I decided to give it a shot and I am so glad I did. Basically, to “amuricanize” the name of this, I’d call it Indian Chicken Vegetable Soup. It was different from what I usually eat, but at the same time very comforting and familiar. When I was preparing it, I didn’t think all the vegetables (and fruits!) would even go well together, but they really, really do. And it turned out to be a very hearty meal as I was completely full after one bowl, which is not usually the case for me with soups. And it’s super easy to make and that’s always a plus for me.

I served it with some Naan bread, which is a traditional Indian flatbread (also from a recipe in the WW cookbook). The soup is little spicy due to the peppers in it. My boyfriend didn’t think it was spicy at all, but I’m very sensitive toward spicy food. Serving it with the bread helps to tone it down. It does take some planning ahead because you have to let the dough rise for 3 hours, but if you can remember to make the dough in the early afternoon (or I don’t see why you couldn’t make it the night before or even days before and freeze the dough until the day of), then you will have a simple, fast meal to whip up for dinner.

Mulligatawny with Naan

Mulligatawny

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adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

Dinner, Soup | Servings: 4
Prep time: 20 min | Cook time: 40 min | Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

2 tsp. canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced (this seemed weird to me, but trust me, it works)
1/4 cup flour (Paleo substitute: coconut or tapioca flour)
2 tsp. curry powder
1/8 tsp. ground mace or nutmeg
1 whole clove
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped or 1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken breast (I used pre-cooked chicken to save time)
1/4 tsp. salt

Process

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Saute the onion, carrot, celery, bell pepper, and apple until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the flour, curry, nutmeg, and clove; cook, stirring, 1 minute; gradually stir in the stock.
Add the tomato and lemon juice; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
Add the chicken and salt; heat to serving temperature.

Nutrition info:

Serving size: 1/4 of the soup
Calories: 185
Fat: 6g
Carbohydrates:
Fiber:
Protein:

Naan Bread

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adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

Bread | Servings: 8
Prep time: 20 min | Cook time: 10 min | Total time: 3 hour 30 min

Ingredients

1/2 cup skim milk
1 large egg
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda

Process

NOTE: This recipe says you can use a food processor, which I don’t have. I’ll put alternate directions depending on if you have one or not.

In a small bowl, beat the milk and egg.
Using Food Processor: In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. With the machine running, pour the milk mixture the feed tube until the dough forms a ball. Knead the dough by pulsing until it is smooth, about 30 times.

By Hand: Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda in a bowl, pour in milk mixture and stir until combined. Knead the dough until smooth.
Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; place the dough inside. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for 3 hours.
Place large baking sheet on the center oven rack; preheat the oven to 450 degrees (F).
Lightly sprinkle a work surface with flour; turn out the dough. Divide it into 8 pieces; flatten each into a 3/8 inch (that’s between 1/4 and 1/2 inch) thick teardrop shape (or just an oval to keep it simple). Transfer the teardrops to the baking sheet. Bake until firm, 10-12 minutes. If you like, run briefly under a broiler to lightly brown the tops (I found this was not necessary as it was plenty browned already). Serve immediately. These are best HOT.