By Naz Deravian, The New York Times
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — With a swift flick of the wrist, Gennet Wondimu, owner of Ye Geny Injera & Mini Market in Inglewood, California, slipped a woven mat, called a sefed, under a freshly prepared injera and transferred it from the hot mitad, or griddle, to a long table to cool. Tiny holes covering the surface of the bread stared back invitingly.
“Aino k’onijo, ‘beautiful eyes,’ that’s what we call the injera eyes,” Wondimu said of the holes. “But sometimes the eyes are flat. That means the injera is no good.”
An assertively sour, spongy flatbread, injera is ubiquitous in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisines. Often, the nutrient-rich staple serves as plate and utensil. A variety of stews (such as alitcha kik, shiro, doro wat) and vegetable-based dishes (like tikel gomen) are eaten directly from the bread instead of a plate or bowl. The eyes soak up the sauces, while injera’s requisite tang balances the rich, bold flavors. The malleable texture of injera makes it easy to tear off a piece with one hand and scoop bites.
Necessity shaped Wondimu’s injera. After her husband’s death, she started a catering and injera business out of her home. Her son’s restrictive diet prompted her to use teff flour, which is traditional to the recipe and happens to be gluten-free, rather than the mix of teff and other grains, such as wheat, barley and buckwheat, that many in the diaspora use. Soon, demand grew, and, in 2018, she opened Ye Geny, where she sells injera made exclusively from teff flour and prepares it for various Ethiopian restaurants in the Los Angeles area.
Because injera can be challenging to make, the task is sometimes outsourced to people who do it especially well. Growing up, Genet Agonafer, chef and owner of Meals by Genet, a popular Ethiopian restaurant in Los Angeles, recalled how an “injera gagari,” as these experts are known, would regularly come to her home in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, and prepare stacks in advance, stored in a beautiful woven basket called a mesob.
“In Ethiopia, injera is your breakfast, lunch and dinner,” she said. “We eat that every single day around the clock. So you make enough for days.”
In 1981, when Agonafer moved from Addis Ababa to the United States, teff was not available. Accordingly, the Ethiopian diaspora did what diaspora communities do: They adapted. Self-rising flour (a combination of all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt) stepped in as a substitute. But, while many in the diaspora took to this new style, Agonafer said that she never really got used to the texture or taste, far less sour than the original. Now, Wondimu provides the injera for her restaurant.
To prepare injera traditionally, a starter made of teff flour and water ferments naturally for days. Part of the batter, called leet, is then cooked in boiling water until it forms a thick smooth paste called absit, to ensure the injera is spongy and doesn’t crack. The absit is mixed with the remaining batter until smooth and pourable. Getting this consistency right is one of the many variables that can make or break your injera.
For the novice, homemade injera can take a lot of practice and the right environment for proper fermentation. And batter based on teff flour alone can be expensive and tricky to work with. The version here, not traditional like Wondimu’s, and not as sour but streamlined, is a good introduction to working with teff.
For Wondimu, working with teff is second nature. “People know it’s my injera,” she said as she poured the batter on the mitad in one thin spiral. Immediately, tiny holes popped up across the bread.
Like the individual notes of a rousing sonata, a thousand beautiful eyes gazed back in affirmation of a well-made injera.
Recipe: Quick Injera
Recipe from Steven May
Adapted by Naz Deravian
Assertively sour, injera is a spongy, round flatbread that serves as a nutrient-rich staple of the Ethiopian diet, as well as a serving plate and utensil. Preparing injera in the traditional method takes a lot of practice and just the right set of circumstances for the days’ long fermentation of the batter. This version uses 100% teff flour, but streamlines the fermentation process for the novice. It is not quite as sour and shortens the fermentation time with the addition of baking powder. The hallmark of a well-made injera is the “eyes,” the tiny holes that pop up on the surface of the batter as soon as it hits the hot pan. Ideally, you want many eyes to pop up on the top, plus a smooth surface underneath. (If you have eyes underneath, it’s a sign that your heat is too high.) The consistency of the batter should be somewhere between a pancake batter and crepe batter, and, ideally, you don’t want the injera to crack. You will need a 12-inch nonstick pan to mimic the mitad, the griddle injera is typically prepared on. Be patient and don’t worry if your injera is a little finicky at first. It can take some practice to get the heat and consistency just right. Place injera on a plate and spoon dishes such as alitcha kik, tikel gomen, shiro and doro wat on top. Tear off a piece of injera and scoop up its toppings.
Yield: 5 (10-inch) injera
Total time: 25 minutes, plus 48 hours’ fermenting
Ingredients
- 2 cups/280 grams teff flour (ivory or brown)
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons/6 grams baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon/1 gram fine sea salt
Preparation
1. Place the teff flour in a large, non-reactive glass or plastic bowl. Slowly whisk in the filtered water until the batter looks completely smooth and is the consistency of pancake batter. Make sure to incorporate any batter clinging to the sides of the bowl. If you rub the batter between your fingers it will feel a little gritty.
2. Cover the batter with a clean kitchen towel and leave in a cool spot out of the sun, like a pantry, to ferment at room temperature for 48 hours. Do not touch or move the bowl. After 48 hours, the batter should smell distinctly sour, the top should look puffy and cracked (a bit like a brain), and the mixture should separate, with liquid sitting in the bottom of the bowl.
3. Spread a couple of clean kitchen towels on a work surface for the injera to cool on, and prepare pieces of parchment paper to slip between the injera to stack them when cool.
4. With a soft cloth or paper towel, wipe the surface of a large (12-inch) nonstick pan (with a lid) to remove any residual oils. Heat the pan over medium-high for 2 minutes. While the pan is heating, stir in the baking powder and sea salt into the teff flour mixture until the batter comes together. It will deflate as you stir, and the sour smell will intensify.
5. Using a spouted 1-cup measuring cup, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the batter. Pour the batter in a thin stream into the center of the hot pan, then quickly tilt and rotate the pan to disperse the batter and evenly cover the entire surface of the pan. Try not to have any areas that are too thick.
6. Cook until the eyes (tiny holes) pop up and cover about 75% of the surface of the injera, and the edges begin to curl, about 1 minute. Cover and finish cooking through, about 30 seconds. Use a towel to wipe away any condensation that accumulates on the inside of the lid. (You don’t want the condensation to drip onto the injera.)
7. Remove the pan from the heat and, with the help of a spatula, gently slip the injera off the pan and onto a towel to cool. (Do not lift the injera off the pan with a spatula, it will break. Just nudge it off the pan.) Check the underside of the injera. Ideally, injera should consistently have eyes on the top and be smooth on the bottom. If there are eyes on the bottom, turn down the heat a little.
8. Carefully wipe the pan clean with a soft cloth or paper towel, and wipe any condensation from the inside of the lid. Repeat with the remaining batter, wiping both the pan and the lid between each injera. Take note of the heat and adjust to medium if necessary. If injera are cracked or dry, try placing the lid on sooner than 1 minute after pouring the batter.
9. When the injera is cool, stack on top of each other with parchment paper in between. Place injera in a large resealable bag and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. To serve, reheat in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. (Alternatively, you may wrap the injera tightly in foil and reheat in a low oven.)
Recipe: Alitcha Kik (Stewed Yellow Split Peas)
Recipe from Genet Agonafer
Adapted by Naz Deravian
Genet Agonafer, chef owner of Meals by Genet, offers an array of dishes using a variety of legumes at her award-winning Ethiopian restaurant in Los Angeles. Alitcha kik is a comforting, protein-packed yellow split pea dish that is spiced and tinted with turmeric. Alitcha refers to a meat or vegetable stew prepared without berbere, the fragrant, chile-based spice mix widely used in Ethiopian cuisine. According to Agonafer, the foundation of most Ethiopian dishes is onion. To properly cook down the finely chopped onion, she quickly boils it and then cooks it in oil with crushed garlic and the rest of the ingredients. Yellow split peas need plenty of water to soften. Alitcha kik shouldn’t be too thick; add water as necessary for a creamy consistency. Alitcha kik is traditionally served with injera, but it also pairs well with rice or bread of choice.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups/8 ounces yellow split peas (not quick cooking), sorted through, rinsed
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons grated garlic (from 5 to 6 garlic cloves)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
Preparation
1. Combine the split peas with 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Adjust heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the peas are completely soft but not mushy and almost all of the water has been absorbed, 40 to 45 minutes. Add more water, 1/2 cup at a time, to keep cooking the peas if necessary. Test multiple peas to make sure they’re cooked through. The mixture should be somewhat loose; if it’s not, add more water.
2. Meanwhile, place the onion in a large pot (the same pot you’ll use to make alitcha kik). Cover with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Adjust heat to medium-high and boil, uncovered, until the onion is just softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Strain and return the onion to the pot over medium heat; add the oil and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until completely softened and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. You don’t want the onion and garlic to take on any color; turn down the heat if necessary.
4. Add the split peas, turmeric and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Adjust heat to low and gently simmer, stirring frequently and making sure nothing is burning or sticking to the pot, 25 to 30 minutes. Add a little more water as necessary; the consistency should be creamy and scoopable but not too thick. Taste, add salt if desired and serve.
Recipe: Tikel Gomen (Cabbage and Carrots)
Recipe from Genet Agonafer
Adapted by Naz Deravian
Vegetarian Ethiopian dishes are a hallmark of Genet Agonafer’s menu at her acclaimed restaurant in Los Angeles, Meals by Genet. Tikel gomen, a flavorful, turmeric-tinged cabbage dish, is simple to prepare without compromising on taste. Agonafer prepares her tikel gomen (meaning cabbage in Amharic) with fork-tender carrots; other versions may also include potatoes. The cabbage is silky without being mushy and stands up well to the pronounced garlic. To achieve just the right texture and flavor, Agonafer first boils the finely chopped onion before cooking it in oil with the rest of the ingredients. Tikel gomen is typically served with injera; while not traditional, it can also be served with rice or any bread of choice.
Yield: 6 servings
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 1 large green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cored and chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 12 cups)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons grated garlic (from 6 to 7 garlic cloves)
- 3 large carrots, scrubbed or peeled, then sliced into 2-inch sticks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- Salt
Preparation
1. In a large pot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add the cabbage, adjust heat to medium-high and boil until slightly softened but still with bite, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, place the onion in a large (12-inch) pan with deep sides and a lid (the same pan you’ll use to make tikel gomen). Cover with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Adjust heat to medium-high and boil, uncovered, until the onion is just softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Strain and return the onion to the pan over medium heat; add the oil and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until completely softened and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. You don’t want the onion and garlic to take on any color; turn down the heat if necessary.
4. Add the carrots, cabbage and turmeric, and season with salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are fork-tender but keep their shape, about 20 minutes. Taste for salt and serve.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.