My previous post was a review of my favorite Ethiopian restaurant. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to piggyback that post with a recipe involving teff. Teff is an ancient grain from Africa as well as an important food source in Ethiopian cooking. The flat bread served with their cuisine, called injera, is made with teff flour.
The flour is fairly easy to come by in my area. The grains, on the other hand, were difficult to find, so I ordered a few packages of Bob’s Red Mill whole grain teff from Amazon. The grains are surprisingly small – smaller than chia seeds – and remind me of little grains of brown sand. One serving dry is 1/4 cup; cooked it makes a pretty hardy, nutritionally dense food.
This recipe is similar to making oatmeal on the stove top except that the first step is to brown the grains until they begin to pop. You can top the porridge with pretty much anything you want. I favor dates but have also used apples, figs, and raisins. If it’s too thick, you can thin the porridge with a little water or soy milk. If you want to make your breakfast extra special, top it with full fat coconut milk or coconut whipped cream.
- 1/2 cup dry teff grains
- 1/2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup dates, cut into pieces
- 2 tbsp agave
- Walnuts, chopped
- Salt, pinch
- Non-dairy milk (optional)
- Heat a sauce pan over medium heat.
- Add teff grains, stir, and allow to toast for about 5 minutes or until grains begin to pop.
- Add water and butter. Stir well. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Stir in dates, agave, and salt. Cover and continue to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until teff is tender and desired consistency.
- Remove heat and let cook for a few minutes. Spoon into bowls and and top with walnuts, additional agave, and non-dairy milk.
- Makes 2 servings.