Guyanese Duff (Steamed Dumplings)

Guyanese duff are light, fluffy steamed dumplings that make for the perfect side to soups, stews, and saucy entrees. Learn how to make Guyanese duff with helpful tips, multiple methods, and a gluten-free alternative.

Guyanese Duff

I love duff! If you’ve ever had a soup or stew and felt like it was missing something, it probably would have benefited from a hearty helping of these Guyanese steamed dumplings. Duff is soft, fluffy, and delicious, and pairs perfectly with metemgee.

My dad makes the most amazing duff and he calls them tigers (tigah in Guyanese creole). Although I am not quite sure why he calls them this. They taste great but making them is an art and I’m here to teach you how to make duff for soup, stew, and anything else your taste buds desire!

Why You’ll Love This Guyanese Duff Recipe

• Simple: These delicious dumplings are made with just a few pantry staples so you probably already have everything you need.
• Versatile: Although duff is simple to make, it’s also easy to mess it up and end up with heavy, undercooked dumplings. Luckily, there’s more than one way to make perfectly steamed duff, and I’ll show you each method!
• A Family Favorite: Most Guyanese people eat it with soup and stews but in my household, we eat it with different dishes and even on its own. I’m sure this will become a go-to recipe for you too!

What is Duff in Guyana?

Guyanese duff is a type of steamed dumpling that is very similar to Chinese steamed buns. It is mostly steamed on top of metemgee. Although in many families it is made independent of metemgee and served with salt fish or fish stew.

The best way I can describe them is that they are the steamed version of Guyanese bakes.

Ingredients for Guyanese Duff

These 5-ingredient dumplings are so satisfying.

• Flour: Use all purpose flour or gluten free all purpose flour.
• Brown sugar: This enhances the taste.
• Baking powder: This ensures a light, fluffy texture.
• Butter: Use room temperature butter.
• Water: You will need 3/4 cup warm water plus 4 cups of water for cooking.

See recipe card for quantities.

Different Ways to Cook Guyanese Duff

Duff is typically steamed on top of ground provision (starchy root vegetables) in metemgee or boil and fry. Since the ground provision provide a base that allows the duff to sit about the soupy liquid, it is perfect for steaming duff. Here are some other ways to steam duff, in case you want duff but are not making anything that requires ground provision:

Steamed in a shallow pot of water:

If you are making duff to eat with stew or salt fish, you can steam your duff in a shallow pot or a deep pan with a tight light. Add about 4 cups of water to your pot or pan, bring it to a boil and then add your duff.

Steamed in a coconut milk broth:

The most delicious version of duff without metemgee, is duff steamed in a coconut milk broth. Use the ingredients for the coconut milk base for my metemgee recipe, then when it comes up to a roaring boil add your duff. I promise you won’t regret this.

Use a steamer basket:

If you have an Always Pan this makes duff making easy, whether you have the steamer basket add on or not. I steam my Guyanese duff directly in the pan or in the steamer basket and they are always perfectly cooked. Don’t have an Always pan? Use this affiliate link to get get your first pan today!

Steamed then fried:

I recently discovered that some Guyanese people steam, then fry their duff. At first I thought why wouldn’t you just make bakes instead of doing all of this? However after trying it for myself it really is a very different experience. The steamed then fried duff has a very crunchy exterior and soft airy interior. It is perfect for stews!

How to make Gluten Free Guyanese Duff

To make gluten free duff, simply swap out the all purpose wheat flour, for all purpose gluten free flour. There are two all purpose gluten free flours that I have tested with this recipe and both work really well: Caputo gluten free flour and King Arthur’s measure for measure gluten free flour.

With the Caputo flour the duff looks, feels and tastes exactly like the wheat version. With the King Arthur’s flour it is a bit more grainy in texture but the taste is spot on.

Tips for the Best Guyanese Duff

1. Do not overwork the dough.

Guyanese duff can be a little delicate, and sometimes it seems that anything can make them fall (not rise to their true fluffy potential). As much as you may want to knead the dough into a really smooth dough ball, try to resist this. The best duff has a textured exterior and fluffy inside. Knead your dough for 3 to 5 minutes then let it rest before separating into the individual duff.

2. Form your dough into all of the duff before adding it to the pot.

This step is very important for even cooking of all of the duff. Do not try to shape the dough ball pieces into duff as you drop them into the boiling water or metemgee. Shape all of them, then transfer them to the pot at the same time. The faster you can cover and steam the duff, the better the results.

3. Do not open the pot while the duff in steaming.

Changing the temperature and pressure of the pot, can cause your duff to fall, just like a cake falls. My mom warned me never to open the pot once the duff is steaming. Wait until the time is up and you are ready to remove the duff.

4. Remove the duff immediately from the pot or steamer.

Once the time is up, remove the duff immediately from the pot or steamer and serve or set aside. If you let the duff remain in the pot it will continue to steam and will eventually dry out, crust over or become stiff.

How to Serve Duff

Most Guyanese people only serve duff with metemgee or boil and fry ground provisions. However, in my family, we also serve duff on its own, with a side of sautéed salt fish or fish stew. Dipping pieces of duff in a delicious fish stew gravy is a mouthwatering experience.

Equipment

• Mixing Bowl: This contains the dough.
• Shallow Pot/ Deep Pan: This is what the dumplings cook in.
• Steamer Basket: This is an optional tool for steaming duff.

Storage

Store leftover duff in the fridge for up to one week. Reheat them in the microwave, by wrapping them in a damp paper towel in order to retain moisture. Warm them up in 30-second increments.

Frequenty Asked Questions