Teff, cooked

Teff is the tiny, poppy-seed-sized grain behind Ethiopian injera, the spongy, slightly sour flatbread used to scoop up stews and vegetables. Once cooked into a porridge, it takes on a texture similar to cream of wheat, with a mild, faintly nutty and molasses-like flavor since the bran and germ stay intact through cooking. Outside its traditional role, cooked teff works well stirred into oatmeal, folded into pancake batter, or simmered as a hot breakfast cereal with fruit and a splash of milk. Because the grains are so small, teff cooks quickly and thickens as it sits, so it is often prepared just before serving rather than reheated from cold.

Dry teff keeps well for months in a sealed container in a cool, dark pantry, and it does not need rinsing before cooking the way some grains do. A cooked cup at 252 grams comes in at just 101 calories, with 2.8 grams of fiber and 3.87 grams of protein, plus a supply of magnesium and iron reaching roughly 10 to 12 percent of daily value in this serving. Sodium is naturally low at 8 milligrams, so teff porridge or injera is a mild base that takes on the seasoning of whatever stew, sauce, or topping it is served alongside.