The humble milagu rasam, a comfort food during Chennai’s monsoon, is hardly a head-turner, you would think. Yet, the simple dish that is easy on the stomach with the goodness of pepper, tamarind and cumin powder that lifts the spirit if one is down with fever or congestion, has travelled the world and returned to Madras as millagutawny or mulligatawny soup.
The dish, made famous by the British, is now offered in five-star hotels and elite clubs. And chefs say it is a favourite among their customers.
Sujan Mukherjee, executive chef at Taj Coromandel hotel, says the dish they prepare includes green apples. “To give tanginess, we offer lemon rings and some rice on the side,” he says.
