Teff?! What the heck is teff? A year or so ago, I couldn’t imagine myself cooking let alone cooking teff. Teff is the world’s smallest whole-grain. It’s super tiny and commonly comes in two varietes brown or ivory. I’ve eaten teff before in the form of injera, the Ethiopian flat bread used in eating Ethiopian food. I just didn’t know it was made from teff. Teff is a super-grain, so much so that the ratio based on size vs. superness is outstanding. It has loads of calcium and protein–it has all 8 essential amino acids. It has a ton of iron too and in a form that your body can easily absorb. It truly is a superfood.
I made Polenta-Style Teff Wedges using a recipe from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Cooking. Boy, were these good. And easy, too! I like easy. Like polenta, you slowly stir in 2 cups grains into 6 cups salted boiling water. Unlike polenta, you don’ t have to stir constantly. You cover the pot and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally, until it gets nice and thick. You stir in a cup of grated Parmesan Cheese and pour the mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Let it set up in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, but preferably longer. Cut the teff into wedges.
The first way I prepared the teff wedges was by grilling them on my grill pan and serving them with salad and scrambled eggs.
The second way I prepared the wedges was by baking them in a 350 F oven for 30 minutes smothered in a spicy tomato sauce. I served these over micro greens and with green beans.
Pink Stripes 
I love injera! That looks so interesting and delicious!
I posted a polenta recipe today:) We are on the same page. Love the meal you have here!
This looks really delicious. I will have to buy some teff.
I recently bought this cookbook just because I saw that you had made some delicious recipes from it. This looks great. I am guessing that I am going to have to search to find teff. I have heard of it but never seen it. Your blog is so inspirational!
I lived in Eritrea (north of Ethiopia) for 2 years and never saw anyone use teff this way, though as you noted it’s a staple grain in the region and is eaten daily.
I have Heidi’s book, too. Thanks for the reminder about this recipe.
Sheesh, I can’t keep up with you. I just cooked quinoa, now I’ve got to try this? I’ve never even heard of it before. I’ll try Whole Foods…….
I have never, ever heard of teff. This all sounds fantastic! I feel like I broaden my culinary horizons ever time I stop here. I still can’t believe you’ve only been cooking for a year!
Oh, I just can’t wait to try these! I’ve never heard of teff, but now that you’ve described it and provided these recipes, I just can’t wait to try it. I love foods like these. Yum, yum!
I have a bag of teff flour in my refrigerator and never really considered making anything besides injera with it. This looks really good. The first time I made injera I headed way across town to a specialty grocery store seeking teff flour, they had it and I was happy. A few days later, walking through the aisles of my regular grocery store just a mile from my house, what do I see on the shelf? Teff flour!
wow–this looks fantastic! i’ve always wanted to try cooking with teff. this is defintely going on my to-make list.
This is a very good and novel use for teff grain. I really feel that injera is a baking technique best learned at your mother’s knee. If you are interested teff is a click away at teffco.com