If you’ve ever been to an Ethiopian restaurant – certainly if you’ve ever set foot in Ethiopia – you will have heard of injera. It’s a sourdough flatbread unlike any other sourdough. It starts out looking like a crepe but then develops a unique porous and slightly spongy texture. The thin batter is poured onto the cooking surface, traditionally a clay plate over a fire though now more commonly a specialized electric injera stove, and the bottom remains smooth while the top develops lots of pores which makes it ideal for scooping up stews and sauces.
And that’s exactly how injera is used, as an eating utensil. And as a plate. And often in place of the tablecloth. A variety of stews, vegetables and/or salads are placed on a large piece of injera and guests use their right hands to tear portions of the injera which are used for gripping the food. The porous texture of the injera makes it ideal for soaking up the juices.
Injera is traditionally made out of teff flour, the world’s tiniest grain and also one of the earliest domesticated plants having originated in Ethiopia and Eritrea (where injera is also widely consumed) between 4000 and 1000 BC. Its production is limited to only areas with adequate rainfall though so it’s relatively expensive for most African households. As such, many will replace some of the teff content with other flours like barley or wheat. For those who can afford it, injera made entirely of teff flour has the higher demand.
Injera is the traditional accompaniment to Doro Wat, Ethiopia’s famous spicy chicken stew, and together these constitute the national dish of Ethiopia.
Injera is likewise served with Sega Wat, the delicious beef version of Doro Wat.
There are different varieties of teff ranging from white/ivory to red to dark brown. In Ethiopia white is generally preferred and will also produce a 100% teff injera that is a lighter in color than what is shown in the first photo and preparation photos. I’m using 100% dark teff flour which produces a very dark injera with a deeper flavor.
The challenge is that if you’re looking for a specific type of teff and like to grind your own grains, most manufacturers don’t differentiate the teff type on their package labeling. It’s mostly an aesthetic preference though and for most baking I do with teff it really doesn’t matter either way. With the injera it will make a difference in the color though if that’s an important factor to you.
I have found only one brand that differentiates the types: Ivory Teff and Brown Teff. Maskal also makes an ivory teff flour.
Traditionally a clay plate, a mitad, placed over a fire is used for making injera.
A special woven basket, called a mesab, in which the freshly made injera are placed.
More commonly now specialized electric injera stoves are used. The most popular one in the U.S. is called the Heritage Grill. But unless you’re making injera constantly, a simple non-stick pan on the stovetop will do the job.
Read to make some injera?
And I don’t mean short-cut, one-day, cutting corners injera. I mean the real deal, authentic injera.
***IMPORTANT NOTE before we begin: Both the texture and color of the injera will vary greatly depending on what kind of teff you use (dark or ivory) and whether or not you’re combining it with other flours. Gluten-based flours (e.g. wheat and barley) will yield a much different texture than 100% teff. In the pictures and recipe below I’m using 100% dark teff, something you will not find in restaurants and will look different than what most are accustomed to, but is traditional to Ethiopian home cooking.
Okay, let’s get started!
You can buy pre-ground teff flour or grind your own. I like to grind my own grains because 1) the flour has far more nutrition because it’s fresher and the oils haven’t oxidized and 2) I have more control over the texture of the flour.
I use and LOVE the German-made KoMo Classic Grain Mill. It comes with a 15-year warranty. It’s a stone-grinding mill and you can grind grains as finely or as coarsely as you like. It’s an awesome piece of machinery and it’s just downright gorgeous!
You’ll need 2 cups of flour. I’m using all teff flour, and mine happens to be dark teff flour which will produce a very dark injera with a deeper flavor.
As mentioned above, using 100% teff flour is traditionally considered the most desirable (it also happens to be naturally gluten-free), but you can substitute part of it with other flours such as wheat or barley.
However, if you’re new to making injera I recommend substituting a portion of teff with barley or wheat flour as 100% is more challenging to work with.
Stir in 3 cups of water (and the yeast if you’re using it).
I made two versions to show you the difference – both are identical but in one of them I added some commercial yeast (left) and the other one I didn’t (right). What that does is prevent the formation of wild yeast because the commercial, store-bought yeast dominates.
Loosely cover the bowls with plastic wrap so that air can still get in (but no critters can) – cheesecloth is also a great option. Let it sit undisturbed at room temperature for 5 days. You don’t have to let it ferment that long but at least 4 days is ideal and longer it ferments the deeper the flavor will be.
Note: Depending on what kind of flour you’re using, you may need to add a little more water if the mixture is becoming dry.
After 4-5 days both versions will be fizzy when you jiggle the bowl.
Notice the difference between the mixture prepared with commercial yeast (left) and the wild yeast mixture (right). The version made the traditional way allowing wild yeast to form is not only much darker in color, it has a film of aerobic yeast on top that you may initially think is mold but it isn’t. If your batter forms actual mold on it it will need to be discarded.
It looks disgusting, I know – like why would I eat this? But rest assured it’s perfectly normal. That isn’t mold, it’s aerobic yeast caused by the fermentation process. Going the traditional route of relying on wild yeast – a naturally fermented product – over commercial yeast results in an injera with a richer and more complex flavor. It’s the way injera has been made and enjoyed for centuries. Again though, if your batter forms actual mold on it, it will need to be discarded.
We’re simply going to discard this top layer and use what’s underneath.
Pour off the top layer and as much of the liquid as you can.
You’ll be left with a clay-like batter. Give it a good stir.
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Scoop 1/2 cup of the fermented teff batter and stir it into the boiling water until the mixture is thickened. This will happen pretty quickly.
Stir the cooked/thickened batter back into the original mixture.
Add some water to the batter to create roughly the consistency of crepe batter. I added about 2/3 cup of water though this will vary from batch to batch. The batter will have a sweet-soured nutty smell.
Heat a non-stick pan on medium. Depending on how good your non-stick surface is, you may need to very lightly spray it with some oil.
Coat the surface of the pan with a thin layer of injera batter. It should be thicker than making a crepe but not as thick as a pancake.
Continue to cook – bubbles will form, allow them to pop. Then cover the pan with a lid and turn off the heat to let it steam cook for a couple more minutes or so until cooked through. Be careful though, if you the injera cooks too long it will become gummy and soggy.
Remove the injera and repeat.
Enjoy!
Traditionally served with Ethiopian Doro Wat.
Authentic Injera (Ethiopian Flatbread)
Ingredients
- 2 cups teff flour, brown or ivory , or substitute a portion of it with some barley or wheat flour
- Note: If you're new to making injera I recommend using a combination of teff and barley or wheat as 100% teff is more challenging to work with.
- 3 cups water
- Note: This method involves wild yeast fermentation. See blog post for details about using commercial yeast as a starter (you'll use about 1/4 teaspoon dry active yeast)
Instructions
- *See blog post for detailed instructions*NOTE: Using mostly or all teff (which is the traditional Ethiopian way) will NOT produce the spongy, fluffy injera served in most restaurants which are adapted to the western palate and use mostly wheat, sometimes a little barley, and occasionally a little teff added in.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and water (and yeast if you're using it). Loosely place some plastic wrap on the bowl (it needs some air circulation, you just want to keep any critters out) and let the mixture sit undisturbed at room temperature for 4-5 days (the longer it ferments, the deeper the flavor). (Depending on what kind of flour you're using, you may need to add a little more water if the mixture is becoming dry.) The mixture will be fizzy, the color will be very dark and, depending on the humidity, a layer of aerobic yeast will have formed on the top. (Aerobic yeast is a normal result of fermentation. If however your batter forms mold on it, it will need to be discarded.) Pour off the aerobic yeast and as much of the liquid as possible. A clay-like batter will remain. Give it a good stir.
- In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Stir in 1/2 cup of the injera batter, whisking constantly until it is thickened. This will happen pretty quickly. Then stir the cooked/thickened batter back into the original fermented batter. Add some water to the batter to thin it out to the consistency of crepe batter. I added about 2/3 cup water but this will vary from batch to batch. The batter will have a sweet-soured nutty smell.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Depending on how good your non-stick pan is, you may need to very lightly spray it with some oil. Spread the bottom of the skillet with the injera batter - not as thin as crepes but not as thick as traditional pancakes. Allow the injera to bubble and let the bubbles pop. Once the bubbles have popped, place a lid on top of the pan and turn off the heat. Let the injera steam cook for a couple or so more minutes until cooked through. Be careful not to overcook the injera or they will become gummy and soggy. Remove the injera with a spatula and repeat.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: Both the texture and color of the injera will vary greatly depending on what kind of teff you use (dark or ivory) and whether or not you're combining it with other flours. Gluten-based flours (e.g. wheat and barley) will yield a much different texture than 100% teff. In the pictures and recipe below I'm using 100% dark teff, something you will not find in restaurants and will look different than what most are accustomed to, but is traditional to Ethiopian home cooking. Make your injera according to what you prefer.
Nutrition
Images of serving platter and woman cooking courtesy Maurice Chédel and Rob Waddington via CC licensing
Michaela says
Hi!! It took quite a bit of scouring to find your post, and I’m so happy I did, as I am eager to give this another go. I’m using a method displayed by Feven Geles on YouTube, but her ingredients are adapted for her climate and elevation and I’d like to try all teff first. Not that you need my life story, lol…my question is this: can I make the starter and keep it like a sourdough starter, feeding each day and skimming the anaerobic yeast from the top? Is there any benefit from lactic acid development, as in sourdough starter? Thank you!!
kathrin says
I made the batter with teff flour only and the fermentation went well. i covered the bowl with a kitchen towel and left it on a kitchen cupboard. i wasn’t quite sure how to get the right texture- if i put too much batter into the pan, it got very soft but unstable, if i spread it too thinly, it became more like crêpes. anyway it worked out better when I didnt switch the stove off while covering the pan with a lid.
all in all i am really happy it worked out, thank you for the great descriptions!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad they were a success, Kathrin, thank you for the feedback!
SueLynn says
I tried too. Fermentation seemed to go well. The first night I cooked the injera in a lightly oiled cast iron skillet. I thought it was a failure and ended up flipping it, but once flipped I saw the sponge-like quality. It sat in the pan till the next day and actually tasted pretty good. I stuck the rest of the batter in the fridge in a sealed container. When I cooked one up the following day I needed to pour off liquid again. I wondered if i should have thickened it again but skipped that step as it seemed to be an okay thickness. I used a higher heat based on blog comments. I ended up with big bubbles that never popped. I covered it and turned it off. It began to scorch at the bottom and stick. I added a bit of avacado oil and got it to flip but it was mushy in the middle and a little burned too. Wondering if I should try the rest of the batter but do anything different. Like maybe not such a high heat? Or try thickening it up and watering it down? Or is there something else? Or did I spoil the fermentation already? It still has the sourdough flavor.
maria says
1. I’ve never seen seen an injera recipe that uses the boil & return method. What is this step for?
2. Can you use the liquid that you pour off for the boiling and thinning water? Or do you discard bc it would make the whole thing more sour? Seems a shame to waste (though all of the biotic activity in the boiled part will be killed.
Thanks!
BAnde says
I’m also wondering this, as I haven’t seen this method in other recipes.
Bettina Brux says
I followed the recipe to the T and got the fermentation right. But when it came to cooking it no bubbles formed at all and I ended up throwing the bread away. Would you know what I might have done wrong? Maybe too much batter in the pan? Shame, but I only did half of the recipe as I wanted to try it out first.
Winta says
Once you make the boiled dough and mix it in, you need to let it sit for a couple hours until it starts forming bubbles (btw you can totally skip this whole process of boiling dough by adding sparkling water once you have gotten rid of the 4 day old water because it forms the bubbles you’d save yourself work and effort).
Omer Jemal says
My favorite meal. My mouth filled with water. It has been a while since I left my country Eritrean didn’t enjoy it well.
Brandon says
Can anyone tell me how I’m supposed to tell the difference between the aerobic yeast that forms and what it would look like if it grew mold instead? Because that picture you have just looks like mold to me and I’m afraid to make this if I can’t tell the difference. Thank you
Julia says
If it looks white it should be fine. If you see actual pins or clumps, especially in blue gray or other colors it should be thrown out. It should smell pleasantly sour and yeasty like bread rather than musty like a basement.
Xochi says
Thank you Julia! This is the exactly what I was wondering. :)
Sophia says
Thanks, I had the same question! The stuff in the picture looks a bit clumpy though…?
Ariel says
This is the first time I am writing a review on a recipe on a website. This has been a journey.
So I was suuper excited to find all this, and so I invited my people over for a Ethiopian night, I was going to make each dish, and it sounded fun, adventurous, exciting.
The night before I tested the dough (day 4 of fermentation), and it was gross! It was the wrong consistency, it stuck to my NON stick pan, it wasn’t bubbling, it was cracking, it was goowy. I canceled my event and told no one to come because I couldn’t get it right!
I was discouraged! I made a bunch more, I tried: adding activated yeast, baking powder, self rising flour, not adding boiling water, higher temps, more oil, etc….
nothing worked!
I then googled how to make Njeera and read 4 more recipes.
I then bought a classical Ethiopian cookbook and read a very rigorous 7 day process.
I realized I had mixed my teff mixture each night, and did not get the seperation between water and teff clay on the bottom.
I waited 24 hours, and I got the separation I had been waiting for (day 5), drained off the liquid, and followed this (my original) recipe. Boiled water, got a thick crepe/thin pancake texture by mixing the clay at the bottom of the bowl with more water (the original recipe). I preheated the pan to a medium-high instead of medium-low, and made sure to pour a thick but solid circle of batter. To my surprize IT WORKED!! Bubbled on top, did not stick to bottom, had the spongy (though brittle cause no yeast/minimal wheat flower) texture Injeera has! Tiny bubbles were forming and everything!
I did 2 cups teff, 1 cup flour and the correct water to keep the ration the same as this recipe, and after 5 days the Njeera has a strong bitter/fermented taste, which I LOVE but I don’t know about feeding it to people that are used to american foods. I may try to make this for guests with 50/50 teff and flour and less days of fermentation just to make it more palateable.
BUT MORAL OF THE STORY: this recipe works!! (I did not see any reviews on here say that clearly, everyone who reviewed said they had problems!)
It only started working when my batter separated into water top and clay like yeasty mass on bottom (by leaving it UNTOUCHED for days with cloth on bowl in dry enviroment (I had AC on the whole time)). From there I made sure the boiled water did not ruin the thicker consistency, and then fried without oil by placing a somewhat thick pancake of batter on pre-heated medium high heat (I think I was making them too thin because they were watery and on too low of a heat). Feel very victorious after spending such emotional energy on this project, thanks for this nice recipe :) now to make the foods to eat with my Njeera with…
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Ariel, I’m so happy your efforts and determination finally paid off and I really appreciate the detailed feedback – thank you!
Alice says
Thank you for this recipe –
Can’t wait to try it!
Just two questions.What would your recommended ratio of teff flour to wheat flour be to get a dough that’s good to handle for beginners but still has that amazing taste? Can whole wheat flour be used?
Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Alice, I’d probably start with just 1/4 cup of teff flour. Whole wheat flour comes with its own set of challenges. You can use it but the texture will be much heavier and the injera may not have the same characteristic holes.
Elana Patchin says
First, thank you for the recipe and insights. On the 4th day, mine hasn’t separated, all of it is pourable. It does have a strong smell and white fizzy parts on top. Do I just need to wait longer for it to separate? Is it affected by air conditioning on 24/7?
Thank you!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Elana, it sounds like it’s probably done. I would go ahead and proceed with the cooking.
Brian says
My attempt at this was an epic fail. For some reason, the “clay like” batter underneath the water and yeast was not very clay like. It was quite a bit thinner than I expected. I also didn’t pay enough attention to the recipe and just added the 1/2 batter to 1 cup of boiling water and mixed it in. I didn’t let it continue to boil and stir until it thickend.
I ended up with an almost watery batter (before adding any additional water). The injera just kind of broke apart when cooking, and would never really cook all the way through. It also barely bubbled at all.
Any ideas what went wrong? What would cause the initial batter to be much thinner than anticipated?
Alice Looney says
So. I have failed spectacularly in my first attempt at injera (at least I think it failed).
24 hours – smelled like baby poop
48 hours – smelled sour
72 hours – smelled like baby poop and sour minute to minute
I ended up with something more like a barely baked paste shaped in a circle than a bread-like pancake. Way too wet (I think). Tasted like battery acid pancake.
Cut the remaining batter by half with barley flour and added some baking powder (I know, a cheat) and it turned out a bit better. And the stuff sticks to non-stick pans!
Any ideas on how to improve this?
I think I need to ease into the sour taste, so I might go half/half with only 8-12 hours of fermenting + baking powder again. But why is it so wet?
Drew S says
I am 48 hours in and growing a bit concerned. There is a thick layer of foam on top, then a thin layer of liquid, then the mixture on the bottom. On top it is visibly foaming/fizzing (although slowly)and it is starting to smell sour.
Please see the link and let me know what you think.
https://imgur.com/gallery/Y7fRwtY
Anonymous says
That is normal, looks great!
Rachael Robinson says
Hi, I’ve used regular organic yeast to make my mixture and it is rising already! Only a few hours later! Is it safe to still wait for 4 days before I can bake? I feel like the rising is accelerated too much too fast. What can I do to correct this?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Rachael, rising is not an indication of fermentation – yes, you’ll still want to wait a few days to let it ferment. How many days is determined by the temperature of the environment it’s in.
Jared says
I live in the Pacific Northwest, which is a very moldy place and my house, like most others, has mold. Is there a danger of the wrong bacteria getting into the batter during fermentation? Thanks
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jared, that’s the beauty of fermentation – when done properly the good bacteria overtakes and kills off any bad. I highly recommend “Art of Fermentation” by Sandor Katz for an excellent and comprehensive book on the subject.
piebob says
i, too live in the PNW (Port Townsend) and i tried to make this with the teff available at the Safeway (which is the pale kind). although i’ve had a lot of good success with sourdough starters here, the teff ‘starter’ went moldy, i mean REALLY moldy, within 2 days.
Paula says
Thank you for this recipe!!
But I wonder if we should just do same amounts flour and water, so that we don’t have to then boil a part of it? Is there any reason for that? I’ve the book of the art of fermentation and that talk about making injera just as you do your sourdough starter.
Also I guess mixing it with sourdough will kick start the right fermentation right?