Serves 6-8

I love the taste of smooth, creamy-fleshed sweet potatoes. This eccentric pairing of them with lima beans is a great accompaniment to any meat dish.

The recipe is my mother�s, and she tells me it�s the only way she could get me to eat lima beans when I was a child. If you don�t have lima beans on hand, the dish can be made with edamame (soy beans).

Looking to add an international flair to your dinner? Padma Lakshmi of Bravo's hit show "Top Chef" shares delicious and sophisticated comfort dishes from her cookbook �Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet: A World of Recipes for Every Day.�

INGREDIENTS

� 1 1⁄2 pounds sweet potatoes
� 1 pound frozen lima beans
� 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vegetable oil
� 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
� 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
� 1 dried whole red chili
� 1 onion, chopped
� 2 cloves garlic, sliced
� 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
� salt
� 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice
� 1⁄2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Boil sweet potatoes, in enough water to just cover them, until tender, about 25 minutes. At the same time, in another saucepan, boil the lima beans in just enough water to cover them, about 15 to 20 minutes. Peel and dice the potatoes once they are cool enough to touch. Drain the lima beans.

In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds; when they pop and start to crackle out of the pan, add the cumin, red chili, onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir well and mix. Let the onion turn golden brown; then add the reserved lima beans and stir. Add the sweet potatoes. Mix all the ingredients well, and saut� for just a few minutes more to mingle tastes evenly. Salt to taste. Add lemon juice and stir. Garnish by sprinkling cilantro over the top. Serve warm.