Select a text and click below for speech (
Ethiopian meals are eaten without utensils. Instead, injera, a soft spongy pancake-like bread is used. Injera is made in large circles which are used in two ways for the meal. First, one or two injera are placed on the bottom of a large tray. Various stews are spooned on top in small mounds. To eat, pieces are torn off of extra injera and used to scoop up the food. After the injera are consumed, the injera bread that lines the tray is eaten. This is the tastiest part, because the injera on the plate has soaked up the juice and flavor of each stew.
Injera is made from a fermented sourdough batter. In this way, it has a slightly tangy flavor and a wonderful light and airy texture. It is not dense at all. It is traditionally made from a grain called teff, a staple in Ethiopia. Teff flour can be found in most health food stores. If you can locate packaged injera from a local grocer, buy that; it is authentic and delicious. You can usually get about 7 injera in a package for 5 bucks. Most recipes I've found ask for wheat flour instead of teff and seem like a ton of trouble to make. The following, however, is the most authentic looking recipe I've come across.
The injera sits directly on the plate (usually a round enameled tray) and is covered with delicious stews. The items are usually placed symmetrically around a central item. The stews are eaten with other injera which are kept on a side plate or napkin, usually served folded into quarters
What You Need:
3/4 cup teff, ground fine (the teff may be ground either in a flour mill or in a blender after moistening in 3 1/2 cups water).
salt
sunflower or other vegetable oil
What You Do:
Mix ground teff with 3 1/2 cups water and let stand in a bowl covered with a dish towel at room temperature until it bubbles and has turned sour. This may take as long as 3 days. The fermenting mixture should be the consistency of pancake batter.
Stir in the salt, a little at a time, until you can barely detect its taste.
Lightly oil an 8 or 9 inch skillet (or a larger one if you like).
Heat over medium heat.
Pour in enough batter to cover the bottom of the skillet. About 1/4 cup will make a thin pancake covering the surface of an 8 inch skillet if you spread the batter around immediately by turning and rotating the skillet in the air. This is the classic French method for very thin crepes. Injera is not supposed to be paper thin so you should use a bit more batter than you would for crepes, but less than you would for a flapjack pancakes.
Cook briefly, until holes form in the injera and the edges lift from the pan. Do not let it brown.
Remove and let cool.
Yields 10 to 12 injera.
Injera is made from a fermented sourdough batter. In this way, it has a slightly tangy flavor and a wonderful light and airy texture. It is not dense at all. It is traditionally made from a grain called teff, a staple in Ethiopia. Teff flour can be found in most health food stores. If you can locate packaged injera from a local grocer, buy that; it is authentic and delicious. You can usually get about 7 injera in a package for 5 bucks. Most recipes I've found ask for wheat flour instead of teff and seem like a ton of trouble to make. The following, however, is the most authentic looking recipe I've come across.
The injera sits directly on the plate (usually a round enameled tray) and is covered with delicious stews. The items are usually placed symmetrically around a central item. The stews are eaten with other injera which are kept on a side plate or napkin, usually served folded into quarters
What You Need:
3/4 cup teff, ground fine (the teff may be ground either in a flour mill or in a blender after moistening in 3 1/2 cups water).
salt
sunflower or other vegetable oil
What You Do:
Mix ground teff with 3 1/2 cups water and let stand in a bowl covered with a dish towel at room temperature until it bubbles and has turned sour. This may take as long as 3 days. The fermenting mixture should be the consistency of pancake batter.
Stir in the salt, a little at a time, until you can barely detect its taste.
Lightly oil an 8 or 9 inch skillet (or a larger one if you like).
Heat over medium heat.
Pour in enough batter to cover the bottom of the skillet. About 1/4 cup will make a thin pancake covering the surface of an 8 inch skillet if you spread the batter around immediately by turning and rotating the skillet in the air. This is the classic French method for very thin crepes. Injera is not supposed to be paper thin so you should use a bit more batter than you would for crepes, but less than you would for a flapjack pancakes.
Cook briefly, until holes form in the injera and the edges lift from the pan. Do not let it brown.
Remove and let cool.
Yields 10 to 12 injera.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Ashanti Heugh on -
Brother, thank you for sharing recipes with the rest of us. I was wondering if you had any vegetarian recipes that can sustain one-self through the cold of winter?
Ini will be honest with you Im struggling to adjust to the vegetarian lifestyle. I need all the help I can get.
thanks
-
Permalink Reply by Jah Brushe on -
Jah know, one of the nicest foods to partake in, "Fasting Food" Style, no "Terasiga"
One of the fine delight of Zion.
-
Permalink Reply by EmpressPeaches on -
Blessed Love Idren InI Appreci-LOVE this , give thanks
-
Permalink Reply by MamaUshanga on -
I love injera. My family cannot go a week without having some. Give thanks for posting the recipe!
-
Permalink Reply by EmpreZion on -
Injera is served in my home each and everyday. also no utensils are used in my home for the finger tips have digestive powers! injera is white or dark too very good!
Bless
the African Livity is the way i have always lived indeed!---- CULTURE STEADY!
-
Permalink Reply by Ras JoJo on -
Jah Bless for this recipe... Afta InI read this recipe, I wanted to try it out, however InI did now want my first real time taste to be my own attempt, as such I did some research for the best and closest Ithiopian restaurant. InI was very much pleased.. Many Thanks for de I's contribution and encourage many more...
Bless
-
Permalink Reply by peter sutter on -
About
Wha'Gwan?
AGAIN IS WEALTH THE FRUIT OF OUR LABOR ?
SO TRUE DAT INI DE I LIVES TO LEARN MORE EVERYDAY ABOUT MY PAST HIS STORYAND ILIGHTEN I SELF ON RASTAFARI DE BIBLE AND THE TEACHINGS OF H.I.M. GIVE THANKS INI
© 2009 Created by Soundjata on Ning. Create Your Own Social Network
