Teff, the world’s tiniest grain, is high in protein, fibre, and minerals, and it is naturally gluten-free. Although ancient, teff is now slowly being introduced into mainstream diets as a superfood.
Endemic to Ethiopia, teff has been the foundation for the delectable staple — injera.
Not only does injera serve as the daily bread for millions of Ethiopians, it is simultaneously a plate and a utensil. Stews and salads are placed on top of the injera. The meal, traditionally known as Beyaynetu, is eaten by tearing a piece of the injera and using it to scoop the accompaniments that have been placed on top.
The injera is literally the base of a meal and that is why getting it right is crucial. The recipe that follows below is an accurate guide to the perfect injera.
There are 4 main steps to making injera:
Ersho - Starter
Leet - Dough
Absit - Gelatinisation
Injera Megager - Cooking Injera
1) Ersho - Starter
Ingredients
1) 1 cup of Teff Flour
2) 2 cups of lukewarm water
Materials needed
1) Measuring cup
2) Whisk/Spoon
3) Transparent nonreactive container with tight-fitting lid (preferably glass or food grade plastic)
Injera is known for its sour taste. The ersho is the starter for the injera’s fermentation process.
Method
1) Combine the 1 cup of Teff flour with the 2 cups of water in the container
2) Whisk/stir until the flour and water are combined. There should be no clumps of flour and you should see a foam film develop on top.
3) Seal the container, and place it in a dark dry warm room, where it can remain undisturbed for the next 3 days.
After the 3 days
1) There should be a murky layer of water with a foam film on top, underneath should be a layer of settled flour.
2) Discard the murky layer of water and stir the starter to make sure it is thoroughly combined.
How to know the starter is ready
1) If you nudge the container that the starter has been fermenting in, bubbles should shoot to the surface.
2) The water has separated from the flour and has risen to the top.
3) The starter should have a sour smell.
Soul Food and its Black American and African Origins
2) Leet - Dough
Ingredients
1) 2 cups of Starter
2) 6 cups of Teff flour
3) 8 cups of lukewarm water
Materials needed
1) Measuring cup
2) Transparent nonreactive container with tight-fitting lid (preferably glass or food grade plastic)
3) Standard electrical mixer (or use your hands to mix)
Method
1) Mix the starter with the flour in the container.
2) Pour a total of 3-4 cups of water, one at a time, while mixing. You may not need the entire 4th cup of water, because the aim is to keep the consistency of the dough as thick as possible.
3) Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes until it is thick and smooth.
4) The dough should peel off the sides of the container with ease. Press the dough uniformly at the bottom of the container.
5) Cover the dough with the remaining 3-4 cups of water. This layer of water on top of the dough, “top water”, will act as a seal to protect the pressed dough from any mold that might grow on the surface when fermenting.
6) Put the lid on the container and store it in a dark dry warm room. Leave the container undisturbed for 1-3 days, depending on how sour you desire the injera to be (1 day = less sour, 3 days = very acidic). You are welcome to replace the top water daily to reduce the sourness.
7) The dough will soak the top water during the fermentation process. This will result in the dough transforming into a thick batter. Hence the necessity of restraining the amount of water used in the dough mixture.
3) Absit - Gelatinisation
This step is crucial to giving injera its definitive characteristic — the bubbled surface.
Ingredients
1) 2 cups of water
2) 1 cup of the batter
3) 2-4 cups of lukewarm water
Materials needed
1) Measuring cup
2) Saucepan
3) Whisk/Spoon
Method
1) After 1-3 days, open the container with the dough that has now become a thick batter, and discard the top water. Mix the batter thoroughly.2) Bring 2 cups of water to the boil in the saucepan. Then turn off the heat and let the boiled water settle.
3) Add the cup of batter into the saucepan while whisking to get rid of clumps and to ensure a smooth mixture. Turn the heat back on to bring the mixture to a boil.
4) Once the mixture has bubbled, into a pudding-like consistency, add a cup of the mixture into the batter and dilute it with the cups of lukewarm water. The consistency of the mixture should be thick enough to lightly coat a spoon but not cover the spoon. Think the same consistency as batter for a crêpe. Be sure to be satisfied with the consistency of the batter because no more is to be added after the final fermentation of the batter.
5) Seal the container with the batter and place it in a dark dry room for 1- hours. You will know the batter is ready when small bubbles appear on its surface.
4) Injera Megager - Cooking Injera
Finally, it's almost time to indulge.
Ingredients
1) Injera batter
Materials needed
1) Mitad or flat non-stick frying pan
2) Ladle
3) Measuring cup to pour batter with
4) Flat mat for lifting the injera
5) Paper parchment
Method
1) Remove any water that has separated from the batter and store it. In the case that you desire to alter the consistency of your batter, you should use the water that separates from the batter, as opposed to pure water because it will dilute the fermentation.2) Heat the non-stick cooking surface to medium-high. Aim for a temperature of 350°F/180°C.
3) The first injera will be your tester so use less batter just to check the bubble formation.
4) Measure 500ml-600ml of batter for a large 16" injera. Pour the batter in a circular motion onto the heated surface.
5) When 80% of the bubbles have formed, cover the injera with a lid.
6) Once steam develops, the injera’s edges should have started lifting from the heated surface.
7) Uncover the injera and slide the thin mat to lift and place it onto a parchment paper or a plastic surface so it can cool down. Do not stack the injera until it is cool because they will stick together.
Traditionally, injera is served with Tikil Gomen (cabbage), Doro Wat (chicken stew), Atkilt (cabbage and potato), Gomen Wat (vegetable stew), Berbere (spiced chicken breasts), and Kik Wat (red lentil stew).
Enjoy!