My Favorite Flavor Combination this Season: Beets, Cinnamon, and Japanese Sweet Potato (with a bit of lime)

This season, I have posted an inordinate number of recipes (found here, here, here, and here) showcasing beets and Japanese sweet potato, and I inevitably add cinnamon to them because I love this flavor combination. Savory spice blends that include cinnamon are my preferred blends, most likely because I enjoy the warmth and balance of tastes that the sweetness of cinnamon adds with the savory cumin and coriander in most of the blends. Paired with the earthiness of the beets and mild creaminess of the sweet potato, I have developed a preference for these flavors. Please be warned, I lived in a very cold, dry place, so the heaviness from these ingredients suited me. I recently moved to a place that is much more humid but still cold, so I crave the warmth of these dishes but do not need the grounding from the root vegetables. We will see how my tastes change as I adjust to my new environment. This recipe serves two.

Ingredients

Porridge

• 2 Tbsp. ghee or olive oil
• 1 thumb ginger, minced
• 1-2 medium Japanese sweet potatoes, cubed
• ½ tsp. Advieh seasoning
• ¼ tsp. coriander powder
• ¼ tsp. cumin powder
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. turmeric powder
• ½ tsp. salt (to taste)
• 1 pinch pepper
• ¼ cup steel cut oats
• ¼ cup split mung beans
• ¼ cup amaranth
• 4 cups water

Vegetables

• 1 Tbsp. ghee or olive oil
• 1 pinch cumin seeds
• 1 pinch coriander seeds
• 1 pinch fennel seeds
• 1 pinch cardamom seeds
• ½ thumb ginger, minced
• 1 cup red beets, cubed
• ½ cup turnip or other root vegetable, cubed
• 1 cup purple cauliflower, cubed
• 1 pinch salt (to taste)
• 1 pinch pepper
• ½ to 1 tsp. fenugreek leaves
• Water to cover vegetables (about ½ cup)
• Sesame seeds (garnish)
• 1 lime wedge (garnish)

Method

For the porridge

1. In a pressure cooker, combine all ingredients and cover with water
2. Set cooking time for 10 minutes
3. Let porridge pressure cook and naturally release

For the vegetables

1. Heat the oil in a small pot on the stove at medium heat
2. Add the whole seeds to temper until brown or aromatic
3. Add ginger to sauté
4. After 30 seconds, add the beets to sauté
5. After 1 minute, add the other vegetables
6. Add water to cover the vegetables halfway
7. Let mixture come to a boil, then turn the temperature down to a simmer
8. After simmering for 3-5 minutes, turn off the heat
9. Let vegetables cool with lid askew for 5 minutes
10. Serve with porridge
11. Garnish with sesame seeds and lime wedge
12. Enjoy