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Ingredients
- For the starter - Takes five days. If you want to have some starter left over to make injera again, wait seven days.
- 3/4 cup water, room temp. (70 degrees)
- 1/2 cup teff flour
- A pinch active yeast (about 1/8 tsp)
- For the Injera
- 1/4 cup teff starter
- 1-3/4 cups water, at room temperature
- 1-3/4 cups teff flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
Preparation
Step 1
Makes 2 cups Starter and the batter (uses only 1/4 cup of starter) makes about 4-6 injera. Using all the starter will make around 30 Injera
For the starter - Takes five days. If you want to have some starter left over to make injera again, wait seven days.
Day 1:
Combine ingredients for the starter in a bowl.
Loosely cover the starter with the lid/cloth and ferment for two days on the counter or someplace that is about 70 degrees. You should see some rising in about four hours.
Day 3:
Stir the starter. This is when the stinker effect starts. The starter has a very yeasty and grassy smell. You will also notice that small bubbles on the surface now.
Starter should have separated into distinct layers. You would think that something has gone wrong with it - what with watery layer on top and dense muddy flour at the bottom! But that's exactly what we are looking for :) Stir starter, it should be slightly fizzy and have a very strong grassy aroma. Feed with starter 1/3 cup teff flour and 1/2 cup water and loosely cover with the lid. Let alone for 2 days.
Day 5:
Starter should have separated into distinct layers. You would think that something has gone wrong with it - what with watery layer on top and dense muddy flour at the bottom! But that's exactly what we are looking for :) Stir starter, it should be slightly fizzy and have a very strong grassy aroma. Feed with 1/3 cup teff flour and 1/2 cup water. Loosely cover and allow to sit alone for at least 4 hours before using to make Injera. You should have about 2 cups of starter by now.
If you go to Day 7, follow Day 3 instructions for Day 5. You will have left over starter to make Injera again in the future this way.
Now lets go to the Injera recipe (verbatim from this link) Uses only 1/4 cup of the starter. If you want to use all the 2 cups of the starter increase the flour, salt and water accordingly
Mix.
Place the starter in a bowl. Pour the water over the starter and stir to dissolve.
Add the teff flour and mix until the batter is smooth. It will have the consistency of thin pancake batter.
Ferment. Cover and let stand for 5 to 6 hours at room temperature. Reserve 1/4 cup of the starter for the next batch.
Add the salt and stir to dissolve.
Heat a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat (you’ll also need a tight-fitting lid).
Using a paper towel, wipe the skillet with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Pour about 1/2 cup (for a 10-inch skillet) or 3/4 cup (for a 12-inch skillet) of batter in the center of the skillet.
Tilt and swirl the skillet immediately to coat evenly.
Let the bread cook for about 1 minute, just until holes start to form on the surface.
Cover the skillet with the lid to steam the injera.
Cook for about 3 minutes, just until the edges pull away from the sides and the top is set.
The first 1-2 Injera's might be a slight disaster - Don't worry. The rest of them will be pillows! See 1 and 2 of mine down here? Sad :(
But from the next ones it will be amazing.Promise. You don't have to turn the Injera. Just cook it on one side. It does not get the spongy texture immediately. But let it rest for 3-5 minutes on a clean towel and it suddenly gets that amazing texture. There is no muddy, bitter taste of Teff either. Serve it with any spicy dish. Spicy dish goes very well this. I served it with some hot tomato stew. Great for scooping the side dish!!At last I have perfect injera! Seems the problem was with the pan I was using – it wasn’t heavy enough. I’m now using a thick bottomed pan. It makes all the difference!
Yes, there is a huge benefit to the fermentation. All grains, beans & nuts have an outer coating that’s hard to digest. The fermentation process breaks it down. It’s an enzyme called phytase. Without the fermentation process you eat the grain,s but then the phytase binds with minerals in your body (phytic acid), and takes them out of the body as waste. So the fermentation process actually makes the food more digestible and the nutrients available to you. See
I heard that if you make it with mineral water (with bubbels) that you only have to wait for 8 hours and then it is ready to go!!!
I make a pizza sauce with avocado, tomatillo, garlic, cilantro or basil with olive oil. You can buy Teff online also, that’s how I found it and purchased it.
you can store your teff starter in the fridge as long as you feed it once a week. Remove all but 4 ounces and use it to make pancakes or waffles or some other yummy treat. Add 4 oz warm water and 4 oz teff flour, mix until smooth, cover lightly and allow it to sit on the counter for 2 hours to get to 70 degrees. refrigerate.