I fell in love with teff, a sweet dark grain with a subtle hazelnut, almost chocolate-like flavor, during a cooking job at a macrobiotic summer camp in the Berkshires in 1989. Though I had just a taste of plain teff served in a paper cup at a food fair, my taste buds were excited.
When “macro” camp was over, all the food was distributed to the cooks. I passed on the brown rice and came home with 25 pounds of teff and quinoa. Since it was difficult to find teff recipes back then, I decided to create my own.
Teff has a moist texture similar to millet, so my first cooking experiment was teff and oatmeal for breakfast simmered with dried apricots, peaches, dates and figs. Then I started cooking teff in combination with other grains: couscous, millet, kasha and cornmeal, which led to teff with beans, vegetables and spices. I even used both teff grain and teff flour to make an outrageous Lemon Poppy Seed Cake.
Teff is a nutritional powerhouse. In all grains, nutrients are concentrated in the germ and the bran. But in teff, the germ and bran make up almost the entire grain. Since the grains are too small to hull, teff can’t be refined and lose its nutritional value.
An eight-ounce serving of teff provides 32 percent of the RDA for calcium and 80 percent for iron. While not a complete protein like quinoa, a two-ounce serving contains seven grams of protein, equal to an extra-large egg. Teff is low in fat, high in fiber and a good source of niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, copper, manganese, boron, phosphorous and potassium.
Teff is quick cooking (20 minutes), safe in wheat-free diets and has the versatility of corn grits and millet, with the same grain to water ratio.
Teff Polenta
(Yield: 4 to 6 servings)
Flavored with sweet juicy tomatoes, green bell peppers, fresh basil and garlic, this teff dish is an irresistible summer repast. Serve plain or garnished with grated fontina, parmesan or manchego cheese, or sliced rounds of chèvre.
2 c. boiling water
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, thickly sliced
1 c. coarsely chopped onions
1 c. coarsely chopped green peppers
2/3 c. teff grain
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 c. coarsely chopped plum tomatoes
1 c. coarsely chopped fresh basil
1. Heat oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and sauté, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant and the onions begin to soften.
2. Add peppers to the skillet and sauté for 2 minutes, then stir in teff. Add boiling water and salt and bring the ingredients to a boil. Stir in tomatoes and basil.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the teff is soft and most or all of the water is absorbed.
4. Transfer the mixture to an un-oiled 9-inch pie plate, and let cool for 30 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve.
Leslie Cerier (LeslieCerier.com) is a gourmet organic caterer and author of The Quick and Easy Organic Gourmet, Sea Vegetable Celebration and the forthcoming Going Wild in the Kitchen.