So here comes day four of the month long marathon and today we will travel to Ethiopia. Ethiopia is an African country. Ethiopian cuisine consists of meats and spicy stews known as wot or wat. These are served along with Injera, a sourdough flat bread which is large. It measures 50 cm in diameter. Usually layers of injeras are placed on a plate and all the side dishes are placed on it. Rolls of injera are also served in a separate platter. It was quite interesting to know about the most famous dish of Ethiopia and I decided to make it at home.
Injera also known as taita is an authentic Ethiopian Flat bread made with teff flour. If you are wondering what is teff, it is a grain in the size of poppy seeds and is available in variety of colours. These are grown in abundance in Ethiopia and Eritrea. So the local people use teff flour to make the flat bread but as we will never get teff flour here, I went for some substitutions. A combination of wheat flour, corn meal and all purpose flour has been used here. The method of making Injera was so interesting. I went through so many recipes and even videos to know how they make them. The batter is fermented for 24 hours. There is even an Injera starter available. But I used instant yeast. If there is no use of starter or yeast, the batter is left to ferment for 48 hours.
When I opened the batter after 24 hours, I was so worried. The batter was fermented but there was a strong smell of fermentation. I was in doubt whether to go forward with the recipe or not. But as I read rave reviews of injera and how it is very important to ferment the batter, I decided to make it. At the same time I also prepared both the side dishes and finally I made Injera. I made 4 injeras with the batter. Getting hang of preparing the bread itself took two attempts. There is no oil involved in this bread and so when I placed the hot bread on a plate, it stuck. Then came the gyan, I greased the plate. The next Injera came out perfect. And for tasting, I really thought so much. Then gaining some courage, I tried a little bit of injera with the dhal and stir fry. I was so much relieved that it tasted delicious. No sour taste and the three dishes mingled perfectly. Then when hubby came home, I asked him to taste it. He was sceptical. Then I taught him how to eat and he ate one whole bread. But he wanted the paneer butter masala instead of dhal. Some how I was satisfied that the bread was accepted.
Yesmir Wat (click on image for recipe)
Recipe Source: Kadi Recipes
Makes 4 medium sized Injeras
Ingredients:
Maida/ All Purpose Flour-1 cup
Wheat Flour-1/4 cup
Corn Meal-1/4 cup
Instant Yeast-1/2 tsp
Water-1 1/4 cup
Salt-to taste
Procedure:
In a large box mix together all the ingredients.
Add water to form a thick batter.
Cover and set aside for 24 hours.
The next day, stir the batter and add enough water to make a runny batter.
Heat a non stick tawa or a non stick pan and pour two ladle ful of batter.
Rotate the tawa to spread the batter evenly.
Cook on medium flame until done.
Grease a plate and keep it ready.
Remove the injera when it leaves the sides.
Place on the plate and make the second injera.
When the first injera cools to touch, cut it into three equal portions.
Roll each portion into a tight log.
Place them in a serving plate and continue with the remaining batter.
Serve the rolls with Ayib Gomen and Yasmir Wot.
Aiyb Be Gomen (click on image for recipe)
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56
[inlinkz_linkup id=533195 mode=1]
Ethiopian Injera
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Maida/ All Purpose Flour-1 cup
- Wheat Flour-1/4 cup
- Corn Meal-1/4 cup
- Instant Yeast-1/2 tsp
- Water-1 1/4 cup
- Salt-to taste
Instructions
Procedure
- In a large box mix together all the ingredients.
- Add water to form a thick batter.
- Cover and set aside for 24 hours.
- The next day, stir the batter and add enough water to make a runny batter.
- Heat a non stick tawa or a non stick pan and pour two ladle ful of batter.
- Rotate the tawa to spread the batter evenly.
- Cook on medium flame until done.
- Grease a plate and keep it ready.
- Remove the injera when it leaves the sides.
- Place on the plate and make the second injera.
- When the first injera cools to touch, cut it into three equal portions.
- Roll each portion into a tight log.
- Place them in a serving plate and continue with the remaining batter.
- Serve the rolls with Ayib Gomen and Yasmir Wot.
i will bookmark this!!! looks such a great option for breakfast!!
That injera with accompanying dishes look very inviting.
Wow, I am totally in love with your combos! Injera came out good. Your injera is light in color and the injera I have seen in stores are dark brown in color. It could be the flour substitute you used.
I have always wanted to make the Injera, didn’t bcos of teff flour unavailability…good that you found a substitute..
u n ur recipes both r awesome
Awesome recipe thanx
Wow ,I am loving your combos.Very nice platter.Injera looks so tempting.
When we visited the US, a friend took us to an Ethiopian restaurant. I was skeptical and wondered what they would serve to a vegetarian. I was amazed at the taste of the Injera and the variety of side dishes that they served it with. The side dishes were very Indian tasting, the lentil and spinach like our palak dal, a tomato curry was almost like our chutney, a beans curry…. and few others that I cannot recollect. Just loved it.
beautiful – am struggling to store my comments, but hope u get this
I must admit these are so so pretty..I like the combination of flours that you have used, makes it look really beautiful, giving it light yellow hues. The rolled bread looks pretty and the fermented bread with those tiny pores has its own beauty. Glad that you all liked it ..and now we can safely make in our kitchens.
Never tasted or tried ethiopian dishes..It looks awesome and you have done it beautifully
Wow Gayathri injera looks so soft and spongy and love those combinations nice flavors…
Good substitute to teff flour, will try this bread with your given substitute . Excellent combo.
Deivame neenga engayo poyeetenga.. I used teff flour directly and u did everything from scratch.. superb
Injera, this popular Ethiopian flat bread looks stunning, very beautiful presentation, even those side dishes makes a prefect meal to start a day with.
Gayathri plz. Consider changing your name to the most experimental person. Is there some cuisine u have not tried ? I did not try this cuisine for the international marathon as I considered it not doable. U have proved me wrong.
I love Ethiopian food and your Injera without teff flour sound very interesting. I make them with teff flour and sourdough starter. Love the color of the injera and how soft and fluffy they look.
I have had this at Ethiopian restaurant one and think it is one of the worst things I have ever eaten – the texture and the flavor are both awful. Maybe your adapted version tastes better – I wonder how you liked it?
As we are used to fermented dosas, we liked it Mir.