Injera
Spongy sour flatbread that doubles as plate and utensil. · Ethiopia
Spongy sour flatbread that doubles as plate and utensil.
About Injera
A batter of fermented teff flour is poured onto a hot griddle into a large, spongy, slightly sour flatbread covered in tiny holes. It lines the communal platter and is torn off to scoop up stews.
🏛️ History & Culture
Injera is an ancient staple of Ethiopian cuisine, with its origins traced to the highlands of the Horn of Africa, where teff—a tiny, nutrient-dense grain—has been cultivated for millennia. The exact timeline of its invention is not documented, but its fermentation-based preparation and unique spongy texture have been central to Ethiopian and Eritrean dining for centuries, making it one of the oldest known flatbreads still made in a traditional manner.
While teff is the classic grain, regional variations use barley, sorghum, or wheat, especially in times of scarcity or outside the traditional highlands. Culturally, injera is far more than bread: it serves as the plate, utensil, and centerpiece of a communal meal, where diners tear off pieces to scoop up stews and vegetables, symbolizing unity and shared hospitality—a practice that remains a defining ritual of Ethiopian and Eritrean social life.
🍳 How to make Injera
AI-assisted, not kitchen-testedInjera (Ethiopian Fermented Teff Flatbread)
A traditional Ethiopian flatbread made from naturally fermented teff flour batter, cooked into a large, spongy, slightly sour crepe with characteristic honeycomb holes. It serves as both plate and utensil for scooping up stews and salads.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4-6
- Difficulty
- Medium
Recipe ingredients
- 500 g (17½ oz (about 3½ cups)) teff flour, ivory or brown teff; brown gives deeper flavor and color
- 750 ml (3¼ cups) water, lukewarm, plus 60-120 ml (¼-½ cup) more as needed
- 1 g (¼ tsp) fine sea salt, optional, traditional injera is often unsalted
Steps
- 1 Day 1 (morning): Whisk 500 g teff flour into 750 ml lukewarm water in a large non-reactive bowl until completely smooth and the consistency of thin pancake batter, adding more water 30 ml at a time if needed. Loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave at room temperature (20-24°C / 68-75°F) for 24-72 hours to ferment. The batter is ready when it smells pleasantly tangy, has visible bubbles, and a thin layer of liquid (called ersho) on top.
- 2 Day 2-4: Skim and reserve the liquid ersho from the top; set aside. Pour off the remaining liquid by tilting the bowl, then whisk the thick fermented batter. Gradually stir the reserved ersho back in along with additional water, 60-120 ml total, until the batter is back to original thin, pourable consistency. Stir in the salt if using. The surface should bubble when you tap the bowl.
- 3 Heat a 30 cm (12 inch) nonstick skillet or well-seasoned flat griddle over medium heat. Do not grease. Test heat by flicking water onto the surface — drops should dance and evaporate immediately.
- 4 Pour roughly 180 ml (¾ cup) of batter from a height of about 30 cm (12 in) onto the center of the hot pan in a circular motion to spread it out. Do not swirl with a utensil — the pour and thin batter do the work. The surface should be covered with the characteristic 'eye' holes (ayno hilk') as it cooks. Reduce heat to medium-low.
- 5 Cover the pan (or use a large lid) and cook for 1-2 minutes until the surface is set but still moist on top and the bottom is lightly browned with darker brown spots near the edges. Do not flip. The top should not be wet and shiny but still spongy and soft.
- 6 Loosen the edges with a spatula and transfer the injera to a clean cotton or linen cloth. Stack finished injera on top of each other and wrap loosely to keep soft and pliable. Repeat with remaining batter. Injera is traditionally eaten warm.
- 7 Serve by laying one injera flat on a platter to line it, then arrange stews and salads on top; tear pieces of additional injera from the edges with your right hand to scoop up food. Refrigerate any leftovers up to 3 days, or freeze wrapped in plastic for up to 2 months.
Report an issue with this recipe
Recipes from travellers
No one has shared their own Injera recipe yet. Yours would be the first.
Share how you make Injera
You'll need to be signed in with Google or Facebook so your name can appear on it. Recipes go through an automatic food-safety check before they publish.
Sign in to share your recipe
Injera — frequently asked questions
What is Injera?
A batter of fermented teff flour is poured onto a hot griddle into a large, spongy, slightly sour flatbread covered in tiny holes. It lines the communal platter and is torn off to scoop up stews.
What is Injera made of?
Injera is made with teff flour, water and fermentation.
Where does Injera come from?
Injera comes from Ethiopia, and is especially associated with Nationwide. Injera is an ancient staple of Ethiopian cuisine, with its origins traced to the highlands of the Horn of Africa, where teff—a tiny, nutrient-dense grain—has been cultivated for millennia.
Where can I eat Injera?
An Ethiopian meal, where it serves as both plate and cutlery.
How do you make Injera?
Making Injera at home takes about 20 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking. The recipe on this page serves 4-6 and is rated medium. Full ingredient list and step-by-step method are in the recipe section above.
Taste Injera in Addis Ababa
Independent picks. We earn a small commission if you book through these — at no extra cost to you. How this works.
✅ Before you go to Ethiopia
Round out your trip — most travellers book these alongside their trip.
More dishes like Injera
Kinche
Kinche is a beloved porridge, traditional to Ethiopia.
Beyaynetu
The Ethiopian combination platter: injera spread with small mounds of lentils, split peas, greens and vegetables, eaten by hand from a shared plate.
Genfo
Genfo is an Ethiopian wheat-flour porridge, beaten into a stiff dough and ringed around a well of spiced butter and berbere chili.
Tibs
Sautéed cubes of meat with onion, chilli and spiced butter.
Shiro
Creamy spiced chickpea-flour stew for fasting days.
Doro Wat
Ethiopia's rich, fiery national chicken stew, slow-cooked with berbere spice and served on injera.
Salinātā Rudzu Rupjmaize
A sweetened dark Latvian rye bread, baked slowly in a tall tin so the crust turns sticky and caramelised — sliced thick for breakfast with butter or served at Midsummer and Christmas tables.
Aish Merahrah
Sourdough-maize flatbread from Upper Egypt, leavened with fenugreek and baked on clay taboons in Nile-valley towns from Beni Suef to Sohag.
Hortopita
Filo pie packed with wild greens and herbs.
Salmon Pie
Salmon Pie is a savoury pie from Canada.
Pão de Queijo
Chewy, cheesy tapioca-flour rolls — naturally gluten-free.
Seswaa
Slow-boiled beef pounded tender with salt.
Msemen
Flaky square griddle pancake, folded in layers.
Bassi-Salté
Bassi-Salté is a traditional Senegalese stew of chicken or lamb in tomato-onion sauce with root vegetables, beans, and West African aromatics.
Koeksister
Plaited fried dough drenched in cold sugar syrup.
Chakalaka
Spicy tomato and bean relish for the braai table.
- 🇪🇹 Kinche · Ethiopia
- 🇪🇹 Beyaynetu · Ethiopia
- 🇪🇹 Genfo · Ethiopia
- 🇪🇹 Tibs · Ethiopia
- 🇪🇹 Shiro · Ethiopia
- 🇪🇹 Doro Wat · Ethiopia
- 🇱🇻 Salinātā Rudzu Rupjmaize · Latvia
- 🇪🇬 Aish Merahrah · Egypt
- 🇬🇷 Hortopita · Greece
- 🇨🇦 Salmon Pie · Canada
- 🇧🇷 Pão de Queijo · Brazil
- 🇧🇼 Seswaa · Botswana
- 🇲🇦 Msemen · Morocco
- 🇸🇳 Bassi-Salté · Senegal
- 🇿🇦 Koeksister · South Africa
- 🇿🇦 Chakalaka · South Africa
Travel guides for Ethiopia
All travel guides →Planning a trip where Injera is on the menu? These guides cover Ethiopia and beyond.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience with Injera.
Write a review
Sign in to verify you're a real person, then share your thoughts on Injera.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to say something about Injera.