As the weather cools down and the wind picks up, my body craves comfort food.  These pillowy steamed dumplings fit the ticket perfectly.  Slice them and serve alongside a stew or braised dish; or like the photo, top them with oven-roasted lentils and a generous drizzle of tahini sauce for a yummy stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal.  They can even make for a satisfying breakfast smothered in a tamari and roasted chickpea flour gravy!

Yield: 2 small dumpling loaves, enough for 2 hungry people or 4 as a smaller serving

What you need:

• 3/4 cup cooked sweet potato purée (mashed cooked squash, carrot or regular potato will all work too, each providing a different flavour, colour and texture – so feel free to experiment)
• 1 cup whole spelt flour (or whole wheat flour, or toasted barley flour, or your favourite gluten-free flour – again, each will give a different outcome, but all can be pleasing)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Berberé spice blend (or Harissa paste, or curry powder, or Herbes de Provence, or Old Bay seasoning, or chili powder: pick a spice blend that works with the topping and your taste and you’re good to go)
• 1 tablespoon water (this equals 3 teaspoons, if necessary)

What you do:

1. Set a large pot of water, upon which can rest a steaming apparatus, to boil.
2. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl or large measuring cup, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and spice.
3. Add the sweet potato mash and mix until a stiff dough forms.  Add the tablespoon of water, one teaspoon at a time, until the dough is wet but not really sticky, and still holds its shape.  If you add too much water, compensate by sprinkling in some more flour.
4. Separate the dough into two pieces and shape each half into a rough log.  Set each log onto a piece of parchment paper and set it into the steaming apparatus.
5. Steam the dumpling loaves until a skewer comes out clean, 12-18 minutes depending on the kind of flour you’ve used and how wet the dough is.                            
6. Carefully remove the loaves and slice.
7. Serve as desired.

PS – The tahini sauce in the post photo, in case you’re interested, is a mix of a heaping tablespoon of tahini, the juice of half a lemon, a generous teaspoon of Dijon mustard, some tamari to taste and water to thin it all out.  It’s quick and tasty.