A staple of Ethiopian cooking, injera is a flatbread with a satisfying sponginess. Traditional recipes require that the batter sits for two to five days to achieve a robust flavor, however, fermented food is not low FODMAP and doesn’t sit well for those with SIBO. This one-hour recipe yields the same texture and authentic flavor. The teff flour, which is made of an ancient grain, is naturally gluten-free. Perfect for stews, sandwiches, and even drizzled with honey for a quick snack.

This recipe yields about 8 flatbreads.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup 100% teff flour
1-⅓ cup warm water
1-½ teaspoon active yeast
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black Hawaiian salt
2 teaspoons vinegar
¼ teaspoon baking soda or ½ teaspoon baking powder
Cooking oil for pan [coconut oil]

128 g 100% teff flour
235 to 315 ml warm water
1-½ teaspoon active yeast
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black Hawaiian salt
2 teaspoons vinegar
¼ teaspoon baking soda or ½ teaspoon baking powder
Cooking oil for pan [coconut oil]

Directions

Whisk 1 cup / 128 g teff flour with 1 cup / 235 ml warm water and add 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast.
Cover the mixture with a towel and let sit for an hour.
Add 1/2 cup / 118 ml water, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, a pinch of black salt, 2 teaspoons of vinegar and mix well.
Sprinkle mixture with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda or powder. Whisk thoroughly.
Heat a 12-inch non-stick pan or seasoned cast-iron skillet on medium to medium-high heat and wait until hot.
Coat pan with a thin layer of oil spreading with a paper towel.
Pour a few tablespoons of batter to test.
The batter should resemble a thin pancake batter. If no holes develop when the flatbread cooks, add more flour and baking soda or powder. If the flatbread is too thick, add more water.
Pour ⅓ to ½ cup / 80 ml to 118 ml of the batter on the hot pan. Pour in either concentric circles or pour all of it and then move the pan to spread. (See photos above.)
Once spread evenly, wait for a few bubbles to appear, then cover with pan with a lid to steam the injera for a minute or so.
Remove lid and let cook until the center is set and not wet and the edges start to pull away (3-5 minutes depending on size).
Remove injera from pan and let cool. The edges might feel crisp when you remove from heat but will soften once cool.

Tips

**I have made injera countless times with Bob’s Red Mill teff flour and they were foolproof. It did not work with Maskal Teff. You could play with the measurements but no guarantees!

**Traditional injera was made in mitads, similar to a komal, but made of clay. Today, electric injera stoves are more commonly used. I use a 12-inch crepe pan because it still works well.

Original recipe by Vegan Richa.