Roasted Beets with Toasted Cumin

by Laura Donnelly — April 25, 2007

Our spice menu for the week continues with a recipe for beets with the distinctive flavor or cumin. I find roasting the beets easier and less messy, and cooking them this way preserves more vitamins than boiling.

Serves 4

1 Tablespoon whole cumin seeds
2 lbs. beets, washed and trimmed of greens and roots to one inch from beet
1 Tablespoon ground cumin seed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons melted butter
Lemon wedges for garnish

1. Wrap beets tightly in foil and bake in a 400 degree oven until tender; this could take an hour or so. Test them with a sharp knife. When cool enough to handle, slip the skins off and dice the rest into 1-inch chunks.

2. In a dry skillet, lightly toast whole cumin seeds then grind in coffee mill.

3. Toss beets with remaining ingredients, lay out on baking sheet and broil, stirring occasionally, for about 10-15 minutes, allowing some edges to get crusty.

4. Serve with lemon wedges for sprinkling over beets.