How to Make Injera: An Ethiopian Sour Flatbread from Teff Batter

Everyone who has eaten at an Ethiopian restaurant knows that you need to try injera. This spongy, sour, delicious flatbread made from fermented teff batter is perhaps one of the most important parts of Ethiopian cuisine — not to mention the most famous. Like bread or rice in other cuisines, injera is used to scoop up stews, meat and vegetable dishes (and sop up excess sauce — yum!). So, when we stumbled upon the injera recipe in Luladey (Lula) Moges' cookbook, Enebla: Recipes from an Ethiopian Kitchen, we knew we had to make a batch in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen. And we were so happy we did!

Even better? Lula agreed to share her recipe with everyone so you can learn how to make authentic injera at home. She also answered a few of our most pressing questions.

What is injera?

"You can’t eat Ethiopian food without injera. It’s the tortilla to the taco, the peanut butter to the jelly, and the milk to the cereal," says Lula. "Its sour, spongy flavor and texture pairs well with the traditional spicy wots and balances out all of the flavors. We traditionally eat with our hands, using this staple flatbread to scoop up our meals."

How is injera traditionally made?

The flatbread takes roughly four days to make, because it all starts with a fermented batter. Once the pancake-like batter is ready, it's time to cook. While traditionally it is made with a mitad, a very hot stove-top grill, Lula included directions for making it with a nonstick griddle as well, just in case you don't already own a mitad and you're not ready to invest in buying a separate grill. The batter is poured onto the hot pan and should be thicker than a crepe, but thinner than a pancake. It is then covered and steamed until cooked through.

What is the key ingredient in injera?

According to Lula, that would be teff. The fine grain (about the size of a poppy seed) is an ancient grain from Ethiopia and Eritrea. Lula says, "You cannot make injera without it!" She highly recommends using the Maskal brand of teff flour. "Not only do I use it all the time," she says, "but it's the popular choice among most Ethiopian restaurants." (FWIW, teff is the actual grain, whereas teff flour is that grain, ground up). As for the rest of the ingredients needed? They are all fairly easy to find online, says Lula, "but I also recommend going to an Ethiopian/African market to purchase what you need. If you’re in a city or area that has an Ethiopian restaurant, I suggest giving them a call. They will most likely either sell teff themselves or will guide you to where to purchase everything."

Do you have any tips for someone who is making a fermented dough for the first time?

"Patience! The process is difficult at times and you may not get it right on the first try. Be patient and it will be worth it." Just note that the temperature, humidity and even elevation of your location can have an impact, and it's smart to adjust the amount of water added accordingly in step 3. Lulu suggests, "2 to 4 cups is a perfect range, as long as you are slowly adding the water until the batter is smooth and liquid. Once the batter has fermented, if it's still thick, you can use the unflavored sparkling water to get to the smooth, light consistency."

Do you have any favorite memories of making injera?

Some of Lula's favorite memories involve making her own injera as a child. "Every once in a while, either my grandmother or my aunts would let me make my own (with their supervision, of course)," she explains. "They would hand me a cup of the teff batter and let me to be as creative as I wanted. I remember making Mickey Mouse ears, a cloud, moon, etc. Then, the best part — I got to eat it all by myself once it was ready."

What are some of your favorite things to eat/serve with injera?

"Can I say everything?! It is the main ingredient to serve and eat all Ethiopian food, so all of our wots (stews) are served with injera. In addition, we also eat injera with Western dishes. One popular/common dish is to eat pasta/spaghetti with injera."