Here is a soup of colonial, British-Indian origin, born in the early days of the Raj and a favorite among the dwindling mixed-race Anglo-Indian community of India. All the ingredients and seasonings are completely Indian. It is just the way it is served (in a soup plate) and eaten (with a soup spoon) that is British. This soup may be served at the start of a meal, but it may also be offered as the main course for a Sunday lunch, the way the Anglo-Indians do. At such times, plain rice is served on the side, with diners adding as much as is desired to their soup plates, a little at a time so as not to solidify the soup in one go. I like to give my guests individual bowls of rice so that a single large bowl of rice does not have to move around the table like a whirling dervish.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 3 medium thighs), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

　　A scant 1/2 teaspoon salt

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger

　　3 cloves garlic, crushed to a pulp in a garlic press

　　1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

　　1 teaspoon ground cumin

　　1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　1 teaspoon hot curry powder

　　1/4 cup olive or canola oil

　　7 tablespoons chickpea flour, sifted

　　6 cups chicken stock

　　3 tablespoons lemon juice

　　

Step 1

Toss the chicken, salt, pepper, ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, and curry powder in a bowl. Mix well, cover, and set aside for 30 minutes to 8 hours, refrigerating if needed.

　　

Step 2

Pour the oil into a pan large enough to hold the stock easily and set over medium-high heat. When hot, drop in all the chicken. Stir and fry for 3–4 minutes or until the chicken turns white. Add the sifted chickpea flour and continue to stir and fry for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the chicken stock and 1/2 cup water, stirring from the bottom to collect whatever is stuck down there. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring now and then. Taste for salt, adding some if your stock was unsalted. Add the lemon juice and stir it in.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.