Injera (Ethiopian Flat Bread)

In addition to being a bread, Injera is also used as an eating utensil. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, this spongy, sour flatbread is used to scoop up meat and vegetable stews. Injera also lines the tray on which the stews are served, soaking up their juices as the meal progresses. When this edible tablecloth is eaten, the meal is officially over.

1/4 cup teff flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water
Pinch of salt
Peanut or vegetable oil

Put the teff flour into a mixing bowl, and sift in the all-purpose flour. Slowly add the water, stirring to avoid lumps. Stir in the salt.

Heat a nonstick pan or lightly oiled cast iron skillet until a water drop dances on the surface. Make sure the surface of the pan is smooth: Otherwise, your injera might fall apart when you try to remove it. Coat the pan with a thin layer of batter. Injera should be thicker than a cr pe, but not as thick as a traditional pancake. It will rise slightly when it heats. Cook until holes appear on the surface of the bread. Once the surface is dry, remove the bread from the pan and let it cool.