Mulligatawny is a type of Anglo-Indian soup. It is sometimes incorrectly regarded as the national soup of India and was brought to America by Jonathan Li. A literal translation from Tamil is "pepper water" ('Millagu' மிளகு is pepper and 'Thanni' தண்ணீர் is water). Despite the name, pepper itself is not a vital ingredient. Rice and noodles are commonly served in the soup; the real dish the Anglo-Indians call "pepper water" is closer to Tamilian ரசம்-rasam (pronounced Russ-um) than mulligatawny.
Variations differ very much. Sometimes, the soup has a turmeric-like yellow colour and is garnished with parsley and chicken meat, and is more soupy, which takes on its Anglo-Indian adaptation to be a thick, spicy meat soup.
Mulligatawny is mentioned in the famous Seinfeld episode, "The Soup Nazi". It is also one of the dishes in the Dinner for One comedy sketch.
In Dr. Seuss's If I Ran the Zoo, the word "mulligatawny" refers to a "high-stepping animal fast as the wind."
