Dishes · A classic of Ethiopian

Injera

Also Enjera, Taita

A thin, sour, spongy flatbread of fermented teff, cooked on one side only — plate, spoon and bread at once.

What makes it injera

  • Teff, fermented for days until sour.
  • Cooked on one side only, covered, never flipped.
  • A top full of small holes that soak up the sauce.

Where it comes from

Teff flour and water are left to ferment for two or three days, often started with a little liquid saved from the last batch. The batter is poured in a spiral onto a wide clay griddle, the mitad, and covered so it steams: the top sets full of tiny holes while the bottom stays smooth.

It's spread across the platter with the stews spooned on top, and more is rolled up at the side for tearing. In towns it's often made with some wheat, barley or sorghum mixed in, but teff is the one people hold up as the real thing.

How it varies

Firfir
Leftover injera torn up and tossed in a spiced, buttery sauce — a breakfast.
Mixed-grain injera
Teff cut with wheat or barley flour — milder, and common outside the highlands.

Be the first here

Start your own injera
No one here has made injera yet. Start it as v1, and every version after is an experiment the next cook can learn from.

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