If you ever get to attend an Ethiopian/Eritrean wedding get ready to eat the popular delicacy “Injera”.
So what is Injera?
Injera is a bread made with teff flour (a kind of millet growing only in Ethiopia). The injera has a slightly spongy texture and a slight bitter taste.
This spongy flatbread is what you would likely use to scoop stew or vegetables during a Habesha Traditional Wedding.Injera is rolled up with food items and eaten.
It’s important to note that Ethiopians don’t use cutlery or eating utensils. The meals are traditionally served on a large platter around which family and guests gather. This platter is then lined with large pieces of Injera which are torn off and used to scoop the food presented.
Health Benefits of Teff
Teff is becoming Hollywood’s new super food with celebrities beginning to add it to their menu. Here are some Nutritional and Health benefits of Teff:
1. It is a gluten-free grain
2. It is high in iron
3. It helps balance hormones levels naturally.
4. It boosts immunity.
5. Teff is a rich source of iron which helps improve blood and air circulation (oxygenation).
Other health benefits of Teff are; relieving PMS (Pre Menstrual Symptoms), promotes bone health, digestion and weight loss.
Injera Recipe from eatright.org:
Ingredients
2 cups teff or whole-wheat flour (a finely milled type, like whole-wheat pastry flour, works well)
1 cup unbleached white flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
2½ cups club soda (add up to an additional ½ cup for correct consistency*)
Directions
Combine flour and baking soda in a large bowl.
Add club soda; stir well to form a thin batter.
Heat a 10- or 12-inch non-stick pan to high (a griddle can also be used).
Brush lightly with oil.
Using a large cup or ladle, pour 1/4 cup of batter into pan.
Beginning on the outside of the pan, pour the batter out in a circle around the edges until the center is filled. Quickly tilt the griddle back and forth to fill in any holes and to spread thinly and evenly (similar to making crepes).
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the surface is spongy and filled with tiny air bubbles. The edges will begin to curl when ready.
Do not flip the bread. Instead, slide it off the griddle or out of the pan onto a large plate.
Arrange the cooked injera around the outside edges of a large plate or platter so that the centers overlap.
Serve immediately with a meat or vegetable stew placed in the middle of the platter.
Batter consistency is very important. If it’s too thin, the bread will not bubble. If it’s too thick, it would need to be flipped to finish cooking. The best consistency is similar to thin pancake batter.
Fora gluten-free version of this recipe, use 2 cups teff flour and 1 cup rice flour. Follow the rest of the recipe as written.
A suggested alternative to making Injera without teff flour is Wheat flour or Buckwheat.
