[CH] Injerra & Ethiopian Food
Rob Solarion (solarion@1starnet.com)
Sat, 14 Sep 2002 15:50:13 -0600
Yes, Ethiopian food is one of the world's finest cuisines. I used to live
in Ethiopia and have eaten a lot of it. There is a cookbook for it:
EXOTIC ETHIOPIAN COOKING by D.J. Mesfin
In Eritrea, where there was a strong Italian influence, often the Eritrean
restaurants will mix Italian and local dishes. Don't be surprised to see
some Italian dishes on the menu in Ethiopian restaurants. The two cuisines
work very well together.
Incidentally, next time you go to an Ethiopian restaurant, ask them for a
side dish of "hot awazey paste". This is often not on the menu. It is a
little bowl of hot sauce. It's like asking for a bottle of Tabasco Sauce
at Denny's. Then you spoon it over other things. Excellent!
One of my colleagues, after her return to America, at that time couldn't
get any injerra, so she made it using Aunt Jemima pancake mix and beer
(substituted for the milk). It worked fairly well. Nowadays in most major
cities like Dallas and Washington, you can easily buy injerra at the
restaurants or Ethiopian food markets. In Dallas there are several people
who prepare injerra daily for sale to restaurants and others.
Here is the recipe for wheat injerra from this cookbook. Traditional
injerra is made from "teff", a native grain in Ethiopia; although a lot of
it is made from wheat in America. Teff injerra has a clammy texture and
gray color. The wheat injerra is usually white and "fluffier". Once it
has cooled, you can stack it on a platter like tortillas. One time I was
going to a party, and I made each injerra a little bit smaller than the
previous one and stacked them in a conical shape. It became the
centerpiece both of the table and the conversation. In Ethiopian
restaurants, they are usually rolled up like napkins.
WHEAT INJERRA
1.5 cups of self-rising flour
6 cups of water (substitute some beer for 1-2 cups of the water -- Rob)
Mix self-rising flour with 6 cups of water till the mixture is thin.
Preheat pancake pan at 420°. Take 3/4 cup of the mixture and pour into the
pan slowly starting at the edge, going clockwise in circles and coming to
the center. Let it stay for 3-4 minutes. When ready, the rim of the
injerra will rise from the pan. Remove immediately and place on a clean
cloth to cool. Wheat injerra can be covered and stored in a cool place or
refrigerated for 2-3 days. Makes 6-8 servings.
Be advised that making injerra is an art-form all its own. If you've never
actually seen any injerra, it would be difficult to make it. If you have
any questions about Ethiopian food, please drop me a line.
Buon Appetito! Roberto