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1:16 PM
Sibi Sukumar
Injera
This is an Ethiopian recipe. I happened to visit an ethiopian restaurant in california a couple of years back with my friends Sudhir and Makesh. This looked similar to our Dosa and was delicious. Though it looked like a Dosa, it was made like we make Appam.
When we were young we (I and my sister) used to fight for a plate to have food. "My mother used to yell.. are you guys eating food or the plate.!" Well, Injera is not only a kind of bread—it’s also an eating utensil. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, this spongy, sour flatbread is used to scoop up meat and vegetable stews. Injera also lines the tray on which the stews are served, soaking up their juices as the meal progresses. When this edible tablecloth is eaten, the meal is officially over.
Injera is made with teff, a tiny, round grain that flourishes in the highlands of Ethiopia. While teff is very nutritious, it contains practically no gluten. This makes teff ill-suited for making raised bread, however injera still takes advantage of the special properties of yeast. A short period of fermentation gives it an airy, bubbly texture, and also a slightly sour taste.
This is however a modified version of it since we are not sure if teff is available here.
Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup teff flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• a pinch of salt
• peanut or vegetable oil
Utensils needed
• a mixing bowl
• a nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet
Preparation:
1. Put the teff flour in the bottom of a mixing bowl, and sift in the all-purpose flour.
2. Slowly add the water, stirring to avoid lumps.
3. Put the batter aside for a day or more (up to three days) to allow it to ferment. In this time, your injera batter will start to bubble and acquire the slight tanginess for which it’s known. Note: If you find that your injera batter does not ferment on its own, try adding a teaspoon of yeast.
4. Stir in the salt.
5. Heat a nonstick pan or lightly oiled cast-iron skillet until a water
drop dances on the surface. Make sure the surface of the pan is smooth: Otherwise, your injera might fall apart when you try to remove it.
6. Coat the pan with a thin layer of batter. Injera should be thicker than a crêpe, but not as thick as a traditional pancake. It will rise slightly when it heats.
7. Cook until holes appear on the surface of the bread. Once the surface is dry, remove the bread from the pan and let it cool.
This dish can be eaten with Vegetarian and meat tsebhi(Curry or stew). My next post is a Tsebhi recipe.
This is an Ethiopian recipe. I happened to visit an ethiopian restaurant in california a couple of years back with my friends Sudhir and Makesh. This looked similar to our Dosa and was delicious. Though it looked like a Dosa, it was made like we make Appam.
When we were young we (I and my sister) used to fight for a plate to have food. "My mother used to yell.. are you guys eating food or the plate.!" Well, Injera is not only a kind of bread—it’s also an eating utensil. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, this spongy, sour flatbread is used to scoop up meat and vegetable stews. Injera also lines the tray on which the stews are served, soaking up their juices as the meal progresses. When this edible tablecloth is eaten, the meal is officially over.
Injera is made with teff, a tiny, round grain that flourishes in the highlands of Ethiopia. While teff is very nutritious, it contains practically no gluten. This makes teff ill-suited for making raised bread, however injera still takes advantage of the special properties of yeast. A short period of fermentation gives it an airy, bubbly texture, and also a slightly sour taste.
This is however a modified version of it since we are not sure if teff is available here.
Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup teff flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• a pinch of salt
• peanut or vegetable oil
Utensils needed
• a mixing bowl
• a nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet
Preparation:
1. Put the teff flour in the bottom of a mixing bowl, and sift in the all-purpose flour.
2. Slowly add the water, stirring to avoid lumps.
3. Put the batter aside for a day or more (up to three days) to allow it to ferment. In this time, your injera batter will start to bubble and acquire the slight tanginess for which it’s known. Note: If you find that your injera batter does not ferment on its own, try adding a teaspoon of yeast.
4. Stir in the salt.
5. Heat a nonstick pan or lightly oiled cast-iron skillet until a water
drop dances on the surface. Make sure the surface of the pan is smooth: Otherwise, your injera might fall apart when you try to remove it.
6. Coat the pan with a thin layer of batter. Injera should be thicker than a crêpe, but not as thick as a traditional pancake. It will rise slightly when it heats.
7. Cook until holes appear on the surface of the bread. Once the surface is dry, remove the bread from the pan and let it cool.
This dish can be eaten with Vegetarian and meat tsebhi(Curry or stew). My next post is a Tsebhi recipe.
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