Apple Cider and Autumn Root Soup has an Indian flair

It’s that time of year, and we brought apple cider - that awesome unfiltered treat - home from Apple Hill over in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California on Saturday. This means I’ll be cooking with cider.

This soup is incredible. Mr. Maven pronounced it so, despite the fact that it is a tad on the spicy side. I used some of the rich Portuguese Goan-style Red Chile and Vinegar Paste that my group made during our Taste of India Cooking class at Nothing To It on Tuesday night. This was an inspired ingredient for a dynamite soup.

First make your Red Chili and Vinegar seasoning paste.

You will need:

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of cumin seeds

1 teaspoon of black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon of whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Two 3-inch Cinnamon sticks

Two lengthwise slices fresh ginger (2-1/2 “x1”x1/8”)

12  medium sized cloves of garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon tamarind paste or concentrate

1 cup dried red That or cayenne chiles, stems removed.

Pour the cider into the blender first - ensuring a smooth paste - then add the tamarind and the remaining ingredients. Puree, scraping the inside of the blender jar as needed, until you have a highly pungent, smooth paste. Store the mixture in a non-reactive - such as a glass jelly jar - in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. This makes 1/2 cup of paste.

Next you will prepare the root vegetables to braise in a dutch oven style pot - with a tight fitting lid - in the apple cider vinegar.

 

You will need:

2-3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

3-4 medium size parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks

2 medium or one large golden beets, peeled and sliced into chunks

1/2 medium yellow or Vidalia onion, peeled and minced

3 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Two cups of apple cider - prefer unfiltered and unpastuerized

1- 2 cups chicken broth (or water)

1 teaspoon of Red Chili and Vinegar Paste (above)

1 tablespoon of butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the dutch oven, over a medium high flame, adding the oil to coat. Then add the carrots, parsnips and beets. Saute them for for about three minutes. Add the onion, and saute another 2-3 minutes until it begins to become translucent. Add the garlic. Saute for another couple minutes. Add the Red Chili and Vinegar Paste and butter. Stir.

Add the cider to the pot, put on the lid and bring to a slow boil. Let it slow boil, checking occasionally and stirring, for about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock (or water). Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are fork tender. Remove from heat.

In a blender, add half the vegetables and stock at a time - so to not overload the blender jar. Puree thoroughly until smooth and combined. You want this soup to have a nice consistency, and if it’s too thick after the puree, add a bit more stock or cider.

Add it back into the cooking pot to simmer over the very lowest heat, taking care not to scorch for about 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings.

Garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt and toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with Naan or a crusty artisan bread, and a very simply dressed green salad.

Serves a crowd - about 6.

Going native: SpiceRack Market a taste of India in Reno, Nevada

I’ve been making the culinary trip to India in our house more often these days, largely because we are trending toward a loose kind of flexitarian/vegatarian diet. But I’ve always been a fan of Indian cuisine since I was first introduced to it during a visit to the Empress Hotel in Victoria B.C. nearly 40 years ago. I became an instant fan. In more recent years I had the pleasant opportunity to work with Indians and was able to learn more about their cuisine - and sample lots. Yum.

While running errands today, I was caught up in Googling on the old iPhone to see if there was a newer, better Asian market that would offer some Indian specialties. Sigh. Just the usual suspects: dark, dreary, poorly laid out, smelly and not terribly clean. The selections of Indian foods were minimal.

But being a determined and tenacious sort, I Googled again. Voila! The SpiceRack Market, and I was close by.

Just over on Vassar Street and Kietzke, tucked - and I mean hidden - back off the street in the Town and Country Shopping Center. I parked and boldly ventured inside, trying to look like I knew what was what. I’m hardly a newbie when it comes to ethnic markets, but I’d never been a totally Indian one before.

Whoa! Valhalla. Nirvana. This is the Motherlode.

Bright, clean, well laid out and stocked. If you can’t find your quality Indian ingredients here, you’re not trying.

They have a large frozen foods section, in addition to an adequate fresh veggie section, too. Fresh veggies arrive on Friday and Tuesday.

I’m definitely going back for some of the frozen entrees and specialty items - some that you can get for more money at Whole Foods, and a lot that look way better and far more authentic and interesting. The fresh paneer cheese is a huge bargain, and I went away with a bag of frozen that would serve me well for quick small meals for one - when just a few cubes will do.

I came away determined to learn more about the wonderful Indian ingredients, so that I could return and shop with more confidence. But the woman at the cash register was very approachable and kind - and very willing to help.

They also offer freshly baked Indian sweets and samosas. Had I not just eaten lunch, I would have partaken. Next time.

The only thing that causes me a little heartburn is the sodium content of so many Asian or Indian foods. Each item I reach for gets flipped over to the nutrition box. Any sodium content over about 15% goes back onto the shelf. It’s time these manufacturers get a clue about the cause of heart disease and sodium’s role. Unfortuntely, I think adding copious amounts of salt is a way of cutting costs on otherwise more expensive ingredients. They don’t seem to understand that I’d pay more for a healthy product.

I recommend SpiceRack Market. Excellent variety of quality products, clean and well-lit store, good prices, nice employees.

spicerackmarket@gmail.com‎‎

1535 Vassar Street, Reno, NV, NV 89502 (775) 682-4400 () – (775) 682-4401

-maven