Best 7 Authentic Injera Aka Ethiopian Flat Bread Recipes

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Injera, a staple food in Ethiopian cuisine, is a unique and delectable flatbread that tantalizes taste buds with its spongy texture and slightly sour flavor. It serves as the foundation for various traditional Ethiopian dishes, acting as an edible utensil to scoop up flavorful stews, sauces, and other accompaniments. This versatile bread holds a significant place in Ethiopian culture, often consumed during special occasions and everyday meals alike. Its preparation is an art form passed down through generations, requiring careful attention to detail and a blend of traditional ingredients and techniques. If you seek an authentic injera experience, this comprehensive guide will equip you with all the necessary knowledge and steps to create this culinary masterpiece in your own kitchen.

Let's cook with our recipes!

INJERA



Injera image

Injera is a sourdough-risen and spongy flatbread that is a staple in Ethiopia. It relies on flour made from teff, which is part of the lovegrass family, and produces seeds as tiny as poppy seeds. It is nutrient-dense and gluten-free. Injera is served with stews, both meat-based and vegetarian; a torn-off piece of the flatbread is used to pick up the accompaniments.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time P2DT2h

Yield Sixteen 10-inch rounds of injera

Number Of Ingredients 4

2 cups teff flour
1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup self-rising flour
Kosher salt

Steps:

  • Combine the teff flour and active dry yeast in a large bowl. Add 2 cups lukewarm water and whisk or, more traditionally, use your hand to mix everything together, making sure the mixture is absolutely smooth with no lumps. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until the mixture is bubbly and tastes sour like tangy yogurt, 36 to 48 hours. (It will start bubbling and rising in a matter of hours, but it can take anywhere from 36 to 48 hours to achieve a noticeable level of sourness, which is key to the flavor of the injera; see Cook's Note.) After about 36 hours, begin tasting the mixture; this will help you determine when it's just right and will help prevent it from souring too much.
  • At this point, the batter will look separated and watery on top. If you shake the bowl a little, you should see some bubbles rising to the top. Add the self-rising flour and up to 1 cup of water a little at a time. Whisk or use your hand to thoroughly combine into a smooth, thin, pourable mixture with about the consistency of a slightly thicker crepe batter. Cover again and let sit for 1 hour.
  • Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Have a lid for the skillet and a wire baking rack nearby. Whisk 1 teaspoon salt into the batter (it will bubble up). Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the skillet, tilting and swirling to coat with a thin layer of batter. The batter should spread quickly and easily. (If it's too thick, whisk in a little more water.) Within a matter of seconds, you should start seeing small holes forming and the surface darkening as it cooks from the outside towards the center. When the injera is about 3/4 of the way cooked, cover the skillet and let steam for 1 minute. The injera is cooked when the edges are dry and lifting up from the pan. Carefully run a spatula underneath and transfer to the baking rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining batter.
  • You can stack the injera only when they are completely cooled; otherwise, they will stick to each other. Wrap the stack of cooled injera with a dry, clean cloth or paper towels to keep them from drying out until ready to serve. Serve at room temperature, or microwave for 30 seconds to heat through.

INJERA (ETHIOPIAN TEFF BREAD)



Injera (Ethiopian Teff Bread) image

A naturally fermented, spongy, gluten-free flatbread from Ethiopia is made from teff flour and water, using wild yeast to ferment over a couple of days. It is then cooked like a crepe and turned into a flavorful, tangy bread to serve with your favorite Ethiopian food. The fermentation process can take up to 2 or 3 days, depending on your climate. Injera is typically served with vegetables and/or meat on top where the bread is actually an eating utensil.

Provided by Buckwheat Queen

Categories     Bread     Yeast Bread Recipes     Flat Bread Recipes

Time P1DT6m

Yield 2

Number Of Ingredients 6

½ cup white teff flour
¼ cup brown teff flour
3 tablespoons white teff flour, divided, or as needed
1 cup water
3 tablespoons water, divided, or as needed
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Steps:

  • Mix 1/2 cup white teff flour and brown teff flour together in a bowl. Add 1 cup water and whisk well. Pour mixture into a glass container large enough to hold 3 times the original volume. Cover with cheesecloth or other breathable fabric to keep out dust; do not seal with plastic wrap as air circulation is vital. Leave covered container in a draft-free environment; the mixture needs air to be circulated in order to ferment. Stir batter 2 times over 24 hours.
  • Check for bubbles and possibly an increase in volume after 24 hours; there may also be a slightly tangy and sour smell. When you notice these things, add 1 tablespoon white teff flour and 1 tablespoon water to the batter and whisk well. Check in a few hours to see if bubbles have again formed, mixture has increased in volume, and the pungent smell is still evident; if so, the batter is ready and you can skip to the cooking process (step 5).
  • Leave batter to rest another 12 hours if the mixture has not begun to form or smell sour after the first 24 hours; stir once during this time. Check to see if bubbles have formed, mixture has increased in volume, and a pungent smell is evident; if so, proceed with step 4.
  • Mix together 2 tablespoons white teff flour and 2 tablespoons water in a bowl, making sure there are no lumps. Add mixture to the batter, whisking well. Wait a few hours; batter should be bubbly with a noticeable increase in volume and a pungent but fragrant smell, indicating it is ready to be cooked.
  • Heat an 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil. Pour a scant 1/2 cup batter slowly and steadily into the hot pan in a circular motion from outside to inside. Cover the pan completely in a spiral without swirling. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, allowing steam to cook the top of the bread, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from pan with spatula and transfer to a plate; cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 225.3 calories, Carbohydrate 41.1 g, Fat 3.8 g, Fiber 7.7 g, Protein 6.9 g, SaturatedFat 0.4 g, Sodium 13.9 mg

ETHIOPIAN FLAT BREAD (INJERA)



Ethiopian Flat Bread (Injera) image

This is an American adaption for Ethiopian Flat bread from "Extending the Table". I found this easy to make though it took a little time. Well worth it for the fun of an African finger-food meal... and tasty too! For more authentic Injera, add 1/2 c. teff flour and reduce whole wheat flour to 1/4 c. (NOTE: Use multiple frying pans to quicken the cooking task)

Provided by luvinlif2k

Categories     Yeast Breads

Time 1h50m

Yield 20 12inch Injera

Number Of Ingredients 5

3 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal or 1/2 cup masa harina
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (or 1 pkg.)
3 1/2 cups water

Steps:

  • Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
  • Cover and let set an hour or longer until batter rises and becomes stretchy.
  • The batter can sit for as long as 3-6 hours if you need it to.
  • When you are ready, stir batter if liquid has settled on the bottom.
  • In blender, whip 2 c.
  • of batter at a time, thinning it with 1/2-3/4 c.
  • water.
  • Batter will be quite thin.
  • Heat a 10-inch or 12-inch non-stick frying pan over medium to medium-high heat.
  • Pour batter into heated pan (1/2 c. if using a 12-inch pan; 1/3 c. if using a 10-inch pan) and quickly swirl pan to spread batter as thin as possible.
  • Batter should be no thicker than 1/8 inch.
  • Do NOT turn.
  • Injera is cooked through when bubbles appear all over the top.
  • Lay each Injera on a towel for a minute or two then stack in a covered dish to keep warm.
  • (VERY important to rest on towel before stacking!) For those not familiar with Injera, serve it as the"utensil" when serving thick stews.
  • Use pieces of injera to scoop or pick up bites of stew-- no double-dipping-- eat your"utensil" each time.

ETHIOPIAN FLAT BREAD (INJERA)



Ethiopian Flat Bread (Injera) image

Not an authentic recipe as it misses out the Teff flour. I made this version as I cannot find Teff anywhere!

Provided by PinkCherryBlossom

Categories     Yeast Breads

Time 1h40m

Yield 15-20 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 5

3 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups warm water

Steps:

  • Mix everything together to form a batter.
  • Let set in large bowl, covered, an hour or longer, until batter rises and becomes stretchy.
  • It can sit as long as 3-6 hours.
  • When ready, stir batter if liquid has settled on bottom.
  • Then whip in blender, 2 cups of batter at a time, thinning it with 1/2 - 3/4 cup water.
  • Batter will be quite thin.
  • Cook in non-stick frypan WITHOUT OIL (is that a great instruction or what?) over medium or medium-high heat.
  • Use 1/2 cup batter per injera for a 12-inch pan or 1/3 cup batter for a 10-inch pan.
  • Pour batter in heated pan and quickly swirl pan to spread batter as thin as possible.
  • Batter should be no thicker than 1/8-inch.
  • Do not turn over.
  • Injera does not easily stick or burn.
  • It is cooked through when bubbles appear all over the top.
  • Lay each injera on a clean towel for a minute or two, then stack in covered dish to keep warm.
  • Finished injera will be thicker than a crepe, but thinner than a pancake.

AUTHENTIC INJERA (AKA ETHIOPIAN FLAT BREAD)



Authentic Injera (aka Ethiopian Flat Bread) image

I love eating Ethiopian food, and along with the lovely spicy flavors, injera is a principal reason for that. Try this authentic recipe for injera, which requires planning ahead a few days. The batter, which solely consists of ground teff and water, must ferment prior to cooking. I found the recipe upon which this is based at http://www.angelfire.com/ak/sellassie/food/injera.html, a good source for other information on how to serve the finished product. Preparation time is the fermentation time. As a result of a user query (thanks Jennifer!), this recipe was edited on 9/5/04 to improve teff-to-water ratio and to submit additional instructions.

Provided by Heather U.

Categories     Breads

Time P3DT10m

Yield 10 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 4

1 1/2 cups ground teff (180 g)
2 cups water
salt, to taste
vegetable oil, for the skillet

Steps:

  • Mix ground teff with the 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, although I had success with an overnight fermentation; The fermenting mixture should be the consistency of a very thin 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, and don't flip it over as it is only supposed to be cooked on one side.
  • Remove and let cool. Place plastic wrap or foil between successive pieces so they don't stick together.
  • To serve, lay one injera on a plate and ladle your chosen dishes on top (e.g., a lovely doro wat or alicha). Serve additional injera on the side. Guests can be instructed to eat their meal without utensils, instead using the injera to scoop up their food.

INJERA (ETHIOPIAN FLAT BREAD)



Injera (Ethiopian Flat Bread) image

Make and share this Injera (Ethiopian Flat Bread) recipe from Food.com.

Provided by Moishe Lettvin 1

Categories     Breads

Time P3DT20m

Yield 3 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 3/4 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 package dry yeast
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Steps:

  • Combine flours and yeast in a glass or ceramic bowl.
  • Add warm water and mix until smooth.
  • Let mixture sit for 3 full days at room temperature, stirring once a day.
  • The mixture will bubble and rise.
  • Add the baking soda and salt and let batter sit for 10-15 minutes .
  • Preheat a 9" skillet to the point where water will bounce off it.
  • Pour about 1/3 of the batter onto the skillet quickly and make sure you've evenly coated the pan.
  • Only cook the injera on one side, and it should not brown.
  • It's done when the moisture has evaporated and"eyes" appear on the surface.
  • Serve with Ethiopian stews.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 379.9, Fat 1.2, SaturatedFat 0.2, Sodium 869, Carbohydrate 79.2, Fiber 4.2, Sugar 0.3, Protein 11.9

INJERA (AFRICAN [ ETHIOPIAN] FLAT BREAD)



Injera (African [ Ethiopian] Flat Bread) image

This is a simplified version of Injera. There are many sites where you can find the more traditional way of making it but this is quite close in taste and texture and 300 times easier. Injera is used the same way some cultures use Tortillas, as a scoop and/or wrap for food. Try this with any sort of saucy dish... it's great and oh so simple.

Provided by JanetB-KY

Categories     Breads

Time 17m

Yield 1 batch, 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 2

2 cups self-rising flour
2 cups seltzer water (club soda)

Steps:

  • Mix the flour with the water; you want to have a somewhat liquid consistency.
  • Heat a large non-stick frying pan. The secret of making injera is that the pan be very hot.
  • Pour a thin layer (think crepe thinness) of mixture on the pan; cook until the bottom is light brown and the top becomes sponge like.
  • You CAN turn it and cook the other side to crispness and brownness but traditionally the top side is supposed to be spongy -- let the bottom cook but don't turn it.

Tips:

  • To make the injera batter, mix teff flour, water, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it ferment at room temperature for 2-3 days, or until the batter is bubbly and sour.
  • When the batter is ready, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Grease the skillet with a little oil and pour in a thin layer of batter. Cook the injera for 2-3 minutes per side, or until it is cooked through and has a slightly crispy texture.
  • Injera can be served with a variety of Ethiopian stews, such as doro wat, gomen, or shiro. It can also be used to make wraps or sandwiches.
  • If you don't have time to make the injera batter from scratch, you can use a pre-made mix. Just follow the instructions on the package.
  • Injera is a delicious and versatile bread that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Conclusion:

Injera is a delicious and versatile Ethiopian flatbread that can be enjoyed with a variety of stews, curries, and other dishes. It is a staple of Ethiopian cuisine and is also becoming popular in other parts of the world. If you're looking for a new and exciting bread to try, give injera a try. You won't be disappointed!

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