Page 67 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 2

ETHIOPIA’S POPULAR

INJERA

thiopia’s national dish is
Mix 2 cups of teff flour and 3 cups of water
known as wat. A hot spicy
together in a large mixing bowl. Cover loosely
Estew of chicken or beef or
lentils or vegetables, stewed with with a cloth, and allow to ferment for two to
the fiery berbere spice. Wat is eaten three days until it has a strong sour smell and
is beginning to bubble due to fermentation
with injera, which is a huge spongy
fermented pancake that is made
Heat a large flat pan on the stove until very
of teff flour and water. The wat is
placed directly on top of the injera hot. Pour about one-third of a cup of batter
and eaten using your fingers to tear onto the pan, and tilt the pan to allow the
batter to run and cover the surface in a thin
off a piece of injera and using it to
layer. Cook until firm on the first side, noting
scoop up some of the delicious wat.
that when the bubbles pop and remain open
rather than filling up again. This will indicate
Teff flour is made from ground teff
seeds which contain: protein, zinc, that it’s cooked on the first side. Cover the pan
and allow it to steam for another few minutes.
dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium,
Injera is not flipped like a pancake.
vitamin C and vitamin B6. When
combined with fermentation, the
gluten-free injera delivers simply Place on a plate, if you don’t have a tray and
wonderful nutritional benefits to the Mesob (traditional Ethiopian basket, which
also serves as a communal dining table), and
body. Delightful.
serve your dinner on top of the injera.
We celebrate Injera in this issue
in the same year that Ethiopia’s Have a bash!
victory in a long-standing battle,
to the rights to process teff was
announced (though the ruling was
Other nations:
made last year). The District Court
in The Hague ruled that the two Injera is also the national dish of Eritrea.
Dutch patents were invalid. One Versions of this fermented dish are found in
Somalia, Djibouti, Yemen and Israel where it
country down, 5 to go.
goes by different names: Canjeelo, Lahooh,
Lahoh.
And it’s on that victorious note that
we share this nutritious, delicious,
African dish:

Recipe:
Appreciation
Ingredients:
• 2 cups teff flour Thanks to health food and nutrition expert
Sarah Wambugu (Kenya) for this timely
• 3 cups water
article on how to make Injera.

Directions: