Teff

Teff is a tiny cereal grain, native to the Horn of Africa and especially associated with Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking. It has a mild, earthy, slightly nutty flavour; the grains can be ivory, brown or reddish.

Rinse it in a fine sieve, then simmer one part teff with about three parts water, covered, for 15–20 minutes until tender. Leave it to stand for a few minutes, then fluff it with a fork; use less water for a firmer texture.

Mix teff flour with water into a pourable batter and leave it to ferment until bubbly and pleasantly tangy, usually for a few days at room temperature. Pour a thin layer into a hot, lightly greased pan, cover, and cook until holes form across the surface; injera is steamed on one side, not flipped.

Teff flour has no gluten, so it will not make a wheat-style loaf rise and hold together on its own. In pancakes, biscuits and flatbreads you can replace some or all of the wheat flour, but for a risen loaf combine it with a flour that contains gluten or use a suitable binding ingredient.

Keep whole teff in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard; it stores longer than the flour. Once opened, store teff flour airtight in the fridge or freezer to slow its natural oils from turning rancid.

Injera is used both as a plate and as a utensil: tear off pieces to scoop up Ethiopian stews such as misir wot (spiced lentils), shiro and doro wot. Cooked teff also works as a savoury grain alongside roasted vegetables or stirred into porridge with fruit.

Teff is naturally gluten-free, but flour can be contaminated during growing, milling or packing if it shares equipment with wheat, barley or rye. If avoiding gluten strictly, choose teff labelled gluten-free.

A small bowl made from about 40–50 g dry teff is a practical serving; it swells as it cooks. That dry amount provides 101 kcal and 2.8 g of fibre.