From: mgolden@dip.eecs.umich.edu (Michael Golden)
Subject: Injerra
Keywords: Injerra Ethiopian Bread
Organization: University of Michigan EECS Dept., Ann Arbor, MI
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 17:12:09 GMT

Hello again,

Even longer ago than when I asked for a recipe for daikon pickles,
I asked for a recipe for Injerra.  This (it seems) is a FAQ, so I am glad
that I asked for email responses...

Here's what I got.  Thanks to those who responded.

Michael

---------8< Cut Here 8<------------
3 injera recipes from the net - looks like Carol's is the most
clear, as usual.

********
injera
********

I have a very easy recipe for this type of bread, though my
understanding is that you have to have a special flour, etc.,
for the really authentic stuff.  I used to eat a lot at a place
called Mama Desta's Red Sea Restaurant in Chicago and I think
the following recipe is mighty close to what I had there:

Simple Injera -- From Totally Hot! The Ultimate Hot Pepper Cookbook
-------------    by Michael Goodwin, Charles Perry, & Naomi Wise

1 c pancake mix (not buckwheat mix, and preferably not buttermilk)
2 T rye flour
1 1/2 c sparkling water or club soda, at room temperature

	1.  Mix thoroughly, or sift together, the pancake mix and rye
flour.  Slowly stir in the sparkling water.  Pour the batter into
a clean bowl through a strainer, mashing any lumps with a spoon.
	2.  You will need a heavy, 9-inch no-stick frying pan (a shot
of no-stick spray like Pam between each injera helps) with a 
cover.  Heat the pan over a medium flame for about 3 minutes, until
a "test spoonful" of the batter set immediately.
	3.  Pour 1/4 c of batter (exactly) into the middle of the pan
(squirt with Pam first if desired) and cover the pan immediately.
The injera should cook in about 90 seconds.  When it's done, the
surface will be pocked with holes, dry, and firmly set but still
resilient; the bottom should have no more than a faint tan color.
Ideally, the injera should be cooked through but still flexible.
	4.  Set the cooked injera on a plate, and repeat the process,
stacking the injeras on top of one another as you finish them.
(We put wax paper or paper towels between them to keep them from
sticking to one another, but if they are sufficiently "dry" this
shouldn't be necessary.)  The injera can be cooked 3-4 hours
before the meal and will keep (wrapped in plastic wrap) for 24
hours in the refrigerator.
	NOTE:  There is a knack to this which has to be learned from
experience.  The basic principles are these:
	a) The dough must be cooked.
	b) The injera must be flexible.
The batter must not be too thin, or cooking time will be so long
the bottom will brown, and the injera will not be flexible.  The
cover is to speed up cooking the top of the injera, which is 
always a problem since injera is supposed to be cooked on only
one side.

------------
This really is the best "non-authentic", non t'ef (that's the flour
you need to be truly authentic) version of this bread I have run
across, and you'll be surprised how you can pick up the knack of
making the injera like pancakes.  Let me know how it goes.

Carol

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The following recipe is from "Laisha" - a Hebrew womans weekly and is based
on the cook in a Phalashi (thats an Ethiopean Jew) restaurant in the central
station in Tel-Aviv. I tried the food there and liked it a lot. I have more
Ethiopean recipes , and will translate them if there is interest. ( from
Amhari via Hebrew to English ). Enjoy!

Ingera - soft Ethiopean bread

1/2 Kg sifted flour
1 bag Baking powder ( see below)
50 gr quick yeast
1/2 cup oil
8-10 cups water

Preparation:
Put the flour in a deep bowl. Add the yeast and baking powder . add water
gradualy while stirring until you get a smooth batter.
Keep for 3 days at (ethiopean) room temperature.  stir every four hours. 
Heat a frying pan (25-30 cm diameter) and oil with 2-3 Tbs oil.
Pour batter to form a layer at least 1/2 a cm thick.
Cover and fry for 2-3 minutes. When the bread starts to lift at the edge and
solidifies at the lower side, turn it over .  
You  get a kind of soft and porous pita.
Wet with water the lower side of the pan and oil the inner side before
each bread.

One bag is the amount quoted. It usualy suffices for 500 Gr flour. I do not
know how many grams it is , about 1 Tbs.

   Gad S. Sheaffer      

_____________

1/2 lb self rising flour
2 c. water (can use some beer too)

Mix in a blender or with a whisk until smooth.  Preheat a non-stick
(VERY important) skillet to fairly hot, but not like wok.  pour just enough
batter to  barely cover the bottom of the skillet.  It'll be sort of
like a thin pancake that you don't have to flip.  When they're done
they'll curl up slightly at the edges.  Remove from pan onto a cloth.
Don't pile up until they've cooled.  Fold up in quarters and pile on a
plate for everyone to grab.  This makes about 10 8-10 inch injeras.
-- 
John Trinterud
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Vegetarian Times ran a recipe a while back. Ethiopian food was featured
on the cover. Maybe it was as long as a year ago. All the recipes were
terrific.

Colleen
----------------------------------------------------------------------

The following is what I've sent to other people who have asked about Injera.
Good luck.
					-alg


This bread is kind of a spongy, rubbery pancake, and is served with
Ethiopian dishes.  Thanks!


I've tried to make injera a couple of times and have only had mixed success.
The traditional recipe is a slightly fermented (like sourdough bread) mixture
that is made of "teff".  Teff is ground millet that you can special order, but
is generally not available in the US.  I tried a buckwheat recipe once (I
can't find it now tho) and wasn't really happy with that.  I can offer the
following options:

From Von Walentz Guide to Ethnic Ingredients (good book, available in PB for
	about $11; great book):

for 6-8 10" pancakes: don't think I've tried this recipe, but I probably should

2 1/2 c. water
1/2 packet active dry yeast
1/2 tsp honey or 1/4 tsp sugar
1 1/2 c teff of VERY FINELY ground millet flour
1/4 tsp baking powder

Heat water until lukewarm.  Place 1/4 cup in measuring cup and add yeast and
sweetner.  Set aside for 5 min to proof the yeast.  Place remaining water in
large mixing bowl.  Add yeast mixture, millet flour and mix.  When well
blended, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to ferment at room temperature
for 24-48 hours.  It should get a fermented, sourdough odor.

Mix baking powder w/ 1 tsp water and add to batter.  Head 10-12" heavy
nonstick skitte with a lid over med heat.  If desired, wipe pan with small amt
of oil, ghee or niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced butter).  To test heat, place a
spoonful of batter in center, it should solidify quickly w/o browning.  Pour
1/3-1/2 cup of batter, spiral like, into the pan, starting at the outside and
working in.  Cover pan immediately and cook abou;t 1 min.  Lift lid to check
doneess, top of injera should be cooked and dimpled and bottom should be firm
but not browned.

Injera can be made several hours before serving.  Leftover batter can be used
as starter for next batch.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Yet'ef Injera

From _Exotic Ethiopian Cooking_ by D. J. Mesfin (pb, about $15; ok book but
	everything seems to take a pound of butter?)


1 1/2 lb t'ef
6 c water
2 pkt yeast

sift t'ef.  Add water gradually, rubbing with fingers to avoid lumps.  Disolve
yeast in warm water and add to flour mixture.  Leave covered for 2-3 days to
ferment until water rises to the top.  Carefully discard the water.  Boil 2
cups of water.  Take 1 cup of the batter and put in the boiling water.  Place
on a warm stove and stir continuously until it becomes thick.  Cool and pour
back intohe original pot.  Add more water, cover and let stand till mixture
rises.

Preheat pancake pan to 420 degrees.  Pour 3/4 cup of mixture into pan starting
at the edge and working clockwise in circles to the center.  Cover pan 2-4
minutes.  When ready, the rim of the inhera will rise from the pan.


Yesinde Injera:

1 1/2 lbs flour (self rising)
6 cups water

Mix self rising flour with 6 cups water till mixture is thin.  Preheat pancake
pan to 420 degrees.  Pour 3/4 cup mixture into pan and cook (see above for
cooking directions).



Yeruz Injera
1 1/2 lbs rice flour
1 pkt yeast
6 cups water

Mix rice flour with water until mixture thin.  Add yeast and mix well.  Keep
till mixture rises.  Cook as per other instructures.

(corn, sourgum and another variety in the book)
>From _African News Cookbook_ editor Tami Hultman

This is obviously not traditional.  I've used it and was reasonably happy with
the results.  I've seen other people post that they've been happy with it.

4 cups self rising flour (sub for self rising flour: 1 cup flour, 
			1/4 tsp baking powder, pinch salt)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups club soda (I told you it wasn't traditional)

Combine flours and baking powder.  Add club soda plus about 4 cups water.  Mix
into smooth fairly thin batter.

Heat a large non-stick skillet.  When a drop of water bounces on the pan's
surface it's the right temp.  Dip enough batter from the bowl to cover the
bottom of the skillet and pour it quickly, all at once.  Swirl the pan so that
the bottom is evenly coated, then set it back on the heat.  (My written notes
say "keep pan very hot, almost on highest heat".  I would have been using the
largest well seasoned cast iron pan on a gas stove (electric stoves are
horrible, but I have to live with one for a while longer).  I don't remember
if I covered the pan or not.)

Whjen moisture has evaporated and small holes appear on the surface remove the
injera.  It should be cooked on only one side and not browned.

To serve, lay them on a platter in ocerlapping concentric circles beginning
with the inside and mocing outwards until edges of the outer ring fall over
the edge.

Good luck with whatever recipe you use.

					-Anne Louise Gockel

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Over at an Ethiopian's house for dinner the other day; she was cooking
somewhat authentic injera. (did have ground tef, but did not let it ferment)

Her trick was: blend it. Whip it up in a blender before you pour it in
the skillet. This should make for a light and frothy batter.
Make a watery mix -- remember, the result should be crepe
thickness, not pancake thickness. She also didn't bother to cover it
while cooking, but she did remark that she wasn't doing everything
"correctly."

john

p.s.  She also mentioned that injera are available in Seven-Eleven's in the
Washington, D.C. area in some Ethiopian-rich neighborhoods.

p.p.s Some tef is being grown in Tennessee, of all places. It may become
easier to find in the future. (You can find it in San Francisco, but you
pay dearly for the privilege.)


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi
  My roommate is an Ethiopian and Ive watched him making a Injerra
like bread.  What he does is mix half self-rising floor along with
regular floor and water in a blender in about 1:1:2 mixture.  After
that about 1/4 cup is poured into a non-stick frying pan, turning 
and tilting the pan until the bottom of the pan is evenly covered.
Cook, uncovered, until the top of the pancakelike bread is filled
with holes and no longer wet.  The edges should begin to curl just
a bit.  Remove quickly with your fingers and place on a kitchen 
towel to cool as you prepare the next bread.  Place the cooled 
breads on a plate.  Stack the cooled breads one on top of the other
and then cover with a plastic wrip until dinner.
  Real injerra is made with a grain floor called Teff and takes a
few days to make.

--


	Sorry to take so long to respond to your request.  I knew that I had
	this recipe, but it took me a while to remember to bring the book
	to the office.  This is from _Some Like it Hotter_, by Geraldine
	Duncann.




				Injera

		1 cup millet
		1 cup boiling water
		2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
		1/2 Tbsp baking powder
		1/4 cup sugar
		1/4 cup peanut oil
		salt to taste
		approximately 1 cup cold water
			(amount will vary greatly, depending on the millet)

		Put millet in a bowl and pour boiling water over it.  Let it
		sit until cool, then process in blender until smooth.  If
		necessary, add more water.

		Pour into a bowl, then add all the remaining ingredients
		except the cold water.  Stir, gradually adding water if
		necessary, until the mixture is about the consistency of
		pancake batter.

		To bake, heat a large skillet or griddle, and lightly oil.
		Don't make it as hot as for pancakes: the injera should not
		brown, just set.  Pour on enough batter to make a cake about
		1/8 inch thick and about 9 inches in diameter.  Let it cook
		slowly until the surface is dry.  If it browns, reduce the
		heat before cooking the next one.  As each is finished, set
		on a plate and cover with a damp cloth.

		Serves 8

	

	Fran Heidlage



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