Vegan Teff Kheer Porridge

Vegan and healthy Teff Porridge recipe is made with brown teff and banana. This yummy breakfast recipe has all the flavors of the Indian kheer and can be made in 20 minutes.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Maskal Teff‎. The opinions and texts are all mine.

Never skip breakfast

I am one of those who does not like to skip breakfast. For me, it is an important meal of the day and it needs to be hearty and delicious to set the mood.

I prefer a hot breakfast like crepes, sandwiches, upma, poha, porridges, etc over cold ones like cereal or smoothies.

Today's sweet yet healthy porridge is a hot breakfast recipe that's Indian-flavored and made with teff grains.

It has all the right ingredients to make it a hearty breakfast! It's so good that it could easily pass off as a dessert!

Why Teff

Teff is a better choice than oats or quinoa because of its numerous health benefits.

Ever since I was introduced to this ancient Ethiopian grain, I have been enjoying cooking with teff, be it this porridge, Teff idli, Teff Patties, or Teff Masala Khichdi.

I love that it is very easy to cook with, greatly flavorful, and extremely nutritious! Teff is a naturally gluten-free, and vegan grain.

It is also the smallest grain on earth. Teff is also quick and easy to cook on the stovetop. There are many health benefits to including this millet in our diet.

It's a good source of calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, zinc, and dietary fiber. It is also nutrient-dense, rich in protein, non-GMO, and glyphosate-free. 

You can read more about Teff on Maskal Teff's website. Maskal Teff is available in most leading grocery stores, or you can order directly from their website or Amazon. 

Teff comes in 4 different varieties:

• Brown - has a slightly nutty flavor
• Ivory - which has a sweet, mild flavor
• Flour - you can use it to bake homemade bread, cookies, or cakes
• Grain - which you can use in cereals, soups, stews, etc.

Why make this

This Indian breakfast recipe is a great alternative to oatmeal. So if you are getting bored of the same oatmeal, cereal, or granola every morning, try this out! 

• It's vegan and gluten-free
• A healthy breakfast porridge recipe
• Can be made ahead of time
• 20 minutes is all you need
• Is easily scalable
• Great way to introduce alternate grains like Teff into your diet
• Fused with Indian kheer flavors

Teff grains - I used brown teff grains from Maskal Teff in this recipe. You can also use ivory teff grains in this recipe.

This quick-cooking grain is creamy with a light delicate crunch and has a natural sweetness which works for this recipe.

Banana - Get a ripe one. It adds to the texture and brings a natural sweetness to the porridge kheer.

Milk - I have used unsweetened almond milk in this recipe. You can also use coconut milk, oat milk, or regular milk.

Sweetener - Maple syrup gives this vegan porridge a subtle sweet flavor.

Nuts and herbs - pistachios, saffron, cardamom powder, and ground cinnamon give this healthy breakfast recipe the Indian kheer flavors.

Vanilla extract - It enhances all the other flavors in the recipe. Use a good quality vanilla extract for the best aromatic flavors.

Coconut Oil - I have used extra-virgin unrefined coconut oil in this healthy brown teff porridge recipe.

1. Peel and mash the banana. Reserve some slices for garnish.
2. In a cooking pot lightly toast the brown Teff grains for 2 minutes on medium flame until you hear them start to pop.

3. Then add milk and water.
4. Add the mashed banana.

5. Add the cinnamon powder, cardamom powder, coconut oil, and sea salt.
6. Mix and bring to a boil. Then lower the flame, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Keep stirring and scraping the sides of the pan as it cooks.
   • It's done when it all comes together like porridge. Then add vanilla extract. Mix and take it off the flame. Keep it covered till you plan to serve it.

Serving suggestions 🍽 

Transfer to serving bowls. Garnish with sliced banana, saffron, and pistachios. Drizzle some maple syrup on top of this healthy porridge to make it a tad bit sweeter.

You can also garnish it with toasted sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, edible flowers, desiccated coconut, or more fresh fruits.

Serve this Teff Kheer Porridge for breakfast or as an evening snack. It can also be a great pre/post-workout snack.

If you have leftovers, add them to your pancake batter. It will totally up the flavors of your pancakes!

Top recipe tips 💭

Use any fruits of your choice in place of bananas and for toppings. Once the porridge is cooked, taste and add sugar, maple syrup, or chopped dates if you want it sweeter.

Add some cocoa or cacao powder to this sweet porridge to give it a chocolate flavor. In place of almond milk, you can also use oat milk or coconut milk.

Don't forget the step of toasting the brown teff grains prior. It helps bring out its natural nuttiness. Also, never rinse teff in a sieve or you will lose the seeds with the water.

If you are not following a vegan lifestyle, use whole milk or half and half instead of almond milk.

Recipe FAQs 📖

Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram @cookilicious with the hashtag #cookiliciousveg. I love hearing your feedback! 

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