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If you’re wondering what to serve with your mulligatawny soup, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, I list 33 of the most popular side dishes for mulligatawny soup.

In a rush? Here’s the short answer.

The best dishes to serve with mulligatawny soup are chapati, poori, cilantro mint chutney, ghee rice, and kachumber salad. You can also go with onion pakoras, spiced samosa patties, or peshwari naan. For unconventional but delicious choices, try udon noodles or pickled jalapenos.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

Chapati

There’s more to Indian flatbreads than naan – have you tried making chapati?

The biggest difference between the two is that chapati is unleavened, which means there’s no waiting time involved.

The whole thing can be finished in 40 minutes! And you’ll have soft, chewy bread that’s ideal for mopping up your mulligatawny soup’s delicious broth.

Why we love this recipe: it’s highly detailed.

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Chapati
Make it flaky
Paratha
Make a classic
Easy flatbread

Cilantro mint chutney

Mulligatawny soup can be heavy and flavorsome, so why not brighten it up with some cilantro mint chutney?

It boasts a zesty flavor that will balance out the rich soup.

Plus, the vibrant green color will make the soup look so much more appetizing!

And the best part? It only takes two minutes to make in a blender.

Why we love this recipe: there’s no cooking involved.

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Cilantro mint chutney
Add a fruity note
Mango chutney
Make it different
Balsamic tomato chutney

Poori

If you’re not up for soft, chewy flatbreads, try poori instead.

The bread is deep-fried, resulting in a puffy, crispy texture.

The key to these treats is deep-frying them correctly.

It’s not the healthiest, but you need lots of hot oil to allow them to puff up quickly and prevent them from getting too greasy.

Why we love this recipe: they’re highly addictive.

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Poori
Make another favorite
Papadums
Make it healthy
Seed crackers

Kachumber salad

This is a classic Indian salad consisting of chopped cucumber, tomato, and onions.

Instead of a vinaigrette, the freshly chopped veggies are dressed with lime/lemon juice and basic Indian spices.

This gives the salad a cooling bite, making it an excellent palate cleanser for your soup.

Psst… add freshly chopped mint leaves to make this even more refreshing.

Why we love this recipe: once you have the recipe, you can use it as a side for any Indian dish.

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Kachumber salad
Go Middle Eastern
Tabbouleh
Make it Mediterranean
Greek salad

Ghee rice

Some mulligatawny recipes already include rice, but if you’d rather have it on the side try this recipe.

The spiced rice is studded with cashews and raisins, which bring a pop of creamy sweetness to every bite. YUM.

Pssst… in a rush? You can make this in your instant pot (instructions included).

Why we love this recipe: it’s a far cry from boring steamed rice!

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Ghee rice
Make it citrusy
South Indian lemon rice
Make it low-carb
Buttery cauliflower rice pilaf

Idli

Idli is a famous Southern Indian steamed savory cake. It’s typically served for breakfast, but you can enjoy it any time of the day.

They’re soft and oh-so-fluffy – an excellent alternative to flatbreads for soaking up the soup.

You’ll probably need to take a trip to an Indian grocery store for the ingredients, but it’s worth it.

Why we love this recipe: it gives you two different cooking options.

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Idli
Make it crispy
Dosa
Make a favorite
Vada

Onion pakoras

The key to delicious fritters lies in the batter.

It’s seasoned with a classic blend of Indian spices that will make these treats taste irresistible.

And you want the batter to have a thick consistency so it can hold the onions together. If it’s too thin the whole thing will fall apart.

Enjoy these crunchy fritters with a piping hot bowl of your mulligatawny soup for a hearty meal.

Why we love this recipe: these are guaranteed crowd-pleasers.

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Onion pakoras
Add more veg
Mixed vegetable pakoras
Skip the deep-frying
Baked cauliflower pakora

Spiced samosa patties

Love samosas but watching the calories? It’s an easy fix – just skip the dough.

This recipe shapes the samosa filling into patties and then pan-fries them.

You use way less oli and it means you don’t have to deal with the faff of deep frying.

Win-win.

Why we love this recipe: the ingredients are all pantry staples, so you might already have everything you need.

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Spiced samosa patties
Stick with the basics
Vegetable samosas
Make it fun
Rice paper samosas

Udon noodles

It’s not traditional to add udon noodles to mulligatawny soup, but they’re an excellent starchy addition.

These noodles have a neutral flavor and an incredible chewy texture.

And they perfectly soak up the goodness from your soup, making each bite extra tasty.

They’re widely available in grocery stores, but they’re super easy to make from scratch too.

All you need are four ingredients and some elbow grease!

Why we love this recipe: you can make a big batch and freeze the extra noodles so you’ll always have them on hand.

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Homemade udon noodles
Make it Chinese-inspired
Hand-pulled noodles
Make it Italian-style
Homemade farfalle

Quick fridge pickled jalapenos

Pickled jalapenos aren’t just for nachos and tacos, they’re superb with soup too!

Everyone likes different spice level. With these you can make a mild soup, then the people who enjoy more spice can add as many jalapeños as they want.

Pro-tip: if you want to make these peppers even spicier, skip the sugar.

Why we love this recipe: you get so much use out of a single batch.

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Quick fridge pickled jalapenos
Skip the spice
Quick pickled onions
Make it unique
Spicy pickled cauliflower

Peshwari naan

I know what you’re thinking – naan bread is an obvious side dish choice.

But don’t serve plain naan.

My favorite flavor naan is a sweet coconut Peshwari naan (yum!!).

Why we love this recipe: it tastes so much better than the store-bought stuff.

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Peshwari naan (coconut)
Keep it simple
Herbed garlic butter naan
Add cheese
Garlic naan grilled cheese

The best side dishes for mulligatawny soup

Chapati
Cilantro mint chutney
Poori
Kachumber salad
Ghee rice
Idli
Onion pakoras
Spiced samosa patties
Udon noodles
Quick fridge pickled jalapenos
Peshwari naan