Injera flatbread

Traditionally used as the plate, it is perfect for tearing up and transporting savoury ingredients such as curry and fragrantly spiced sauces to your mouth.

Ethiopian injera flatbread Credit: Murdoch Books / Ben Dearnley

• makes

  10

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1:10 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Injera are versatile and soft flatbreads from Ethiopia. Teff flour has an assertive nutty flavour. Once the batter has fermented, it can produce quite a sour flatbread.

Ingredients

• 560 g (1 lb 4 oz) water
• 240 g (8½ oz/1½ cups) teff flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ghee or duck fat, for frying
• yoghurt (optional, to serve)

Fermentation time: 2-4 days

Instructions

Take a very clean sturdy jug, jar or bowl and add the water. Whisk in the teff flour, making sure no dry clumps remain.

Cover the vessel with a clean tea towel (dish towel) and secure with a rubber band. Leave the batter in a warm room, out of direct sunlight, to ferment for 2–4 days. During this time, give the batter a stir, once or twice a day, and then re-cover.

When the mixture has risen, smells a little sour and is quite bubbly, it is ready. Add the salt and whisk it through the batter.

Heat a 20 cm (8 in) heavy-based frying pan over medium heat and use a paper towel to grease the pan with ghee. Measure out 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) of the batter into a measuring jug, pour over the centre of the pan, tilting the pan to spread the batter in an even layer. Cook for 3–5 minutes, until there is a lacework of holes on the surface and the edges lift slightly, becoming crisp. Flip over and brown the other side for 1–2 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool and continue to make the remaining injera. Serve a stack alongside spicy red lentils, sprouted seeds and, if you like, some yoghurt.

Recipe from Ferment by Holly Davis (Murdoch Books, hb, $45.00). Photography by Ben Dearnley. Read more from Holly about the joy of fermenting here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Injera are versatile and soft flatbreads from Ethiopia. Teff flour has an assertive nutty flavour. Once the batter has fermented, it can produce quite a sour flatbread.