This is a very simple recipe for a delicious vegan and gluten-free Digitaria porridge, perfect for breakfast or meals.
Porridge is a dish that is enjoyed all over the world using a variety of grains and cereals, from rice to oats, wheat, and everything in between. Even in West Africa, we enjoy different types of porridge made from different grains. Digitaria porridge is not very popular and I haven’t come across my hometown. However, in West Africa, grains have reached some renaissance. I had to try it myself after seeing one of my favorite African stores sharing a basic Digitaria porridge recipe on Instagram. ((((Check out inspo here). Therefore, I wanted to share a recipe to celebrate this grain with a less traditional twist. Think of something along the shrimp and grits grits line. This savory porridge is creamy and silky, perfect for any topping. This recipe uses a basic tofu egg stew. This was shared in a previous post linked below.
What is a phonio?
Digitaria exilis is a grain native to West Africa and is part of the millet family, but not what people consider it to be millet. It’s a unique grain that is rustic, incredibly small like Teff, but has a different and indescribable flavor profile. Digitaria is a grain that I added to my pantry a few years ago and has written extensively about it. If you want to know more about Fonio, check out my blog post about Fonio (click here).
What you need for this recipe
- Digitaria: This is a culinary star. See my blog post for more information on Digitaria and where to buy it.
- Vegetable milk: To make the porridge even creamier, it is important to use vegetable milk.I definitely recommend soy milk, but feel free to choose your favorite milk
- Seasonings: Salt and pepper are very helpful in this dish. However, you can add seasonings as needed.Occasionally add garlic
- Tofu Egg Stew: This recipe is available on my page. You can check it out as part of my Health African-Inspired Lunch Recipes post (click here). This recipe uses liquid eggs from plants, but we’ll add instructions to the tofu sub.
Porridge customization
This porridge is definitely customizable. Place porridge, vegan cheese, and whatever you like on top and spice it up freely. Tofu, tempeh, beans, really anything.
material
- 1/2 cup phonio
- 3 cups of vegetable milk
- 1 cup of water
- The taste of salt and pepper
- 2 pieces of chopped garlic (optional)
Instructions
1. Put the liquid (milk and water) in a pan over medium heat and bring to a boil (keep an eye on it).
2. When the oil boils, add phonio and reduce the heat a little (between low and medium heat).
3. Cook the phonio for about 10 minutes until the porridge consistency is obtained.
4. Remove from heat and top with tofu egg stew or topping of your choice.
