Injera

 Injera is an Ethiopian fermented bread made with Teff Flour.Its spongy and earthy and very nutritious.The outer coating of grains and beans and nuts is hard to digest, the fermentation process breaks down the outer layer and makes it more digestible and nutrients more available for absorption.The injera needs a starter,people use all kinds of starters from yeast,fenugreek seeds etc.In this method I used Idli batter as a starter.I will describe the other process as well for your convenience.The Ethiopians use a large skillets called as Mogogo which are about 20 inches in diameter,you can just use the largest pan you have.I only had a ( inch skillet and so the mini Injeras.
Preparation time:20 minutes,Pre-cooking time:2-4 days.
Serves:Makes about 6 9 inch Injeras

Here is how airy it gets

Ingredients:
For the starter:
1/2 cup idli batter(You can use 1/4 teaspoon of yeast instead)
1 cup Teff flour

For the Injera:
1/2 cup Starter
1 cup Teff Flour
1 cup All purpose flour(or some kind of flour that has gluten in it)-This is optional if you just want to do it with teff flour you can use 1 cup of teff instead of all purpose flour)
Salt to taste

Procedure:
1.Take the 1/2 cup idli batter and 1/2 cup Teff  Flour in a bowl and add 1/2 cup water and let it ferment for 1 day.If not using idli batter the process can take upto 5 days.Sometimes you might see some fungus on top,if so remove the top layer and sprinkle some more water and let it continue fermentation,do not disturb the batter.

2.On day 2 add another 1/2 cup teff flour(this is called feeding),mix with hand and let it ferment for another day.At the end of day 2 you will find a dark and black layer of water floating on top,once this is formed your starter is ready.Gently drain the water on top and discard.

3.Take 1/2 cup of this batter in a bowl,add the Teff flour and All purpose flour,Add 2 cups water and mix to a smooth batter and let it ferment for 2 days.You will see bubbles in the flour,this is when the batter is ready.

4.Take the batter in a glass or container through which you can pour.Add 1/ teaspoon salt and you can add 1/4 cup water to get to a pouring consistency,do not add too much water.Heat a pan to medium high.Pour the batter in a circular motion in a thin layer,all around the pan to form a big pancake and let it form bubbles(holes).

5.As soon as the holes form all over,cover it with lid and turn the heat to medium low and let cook for 1 minute and remove from pan and serve.

Tips:
When adding water,do not add cold water,it should be lukewarm.
Added Yeast causes bloating ins ome people,using idli batter is better and available when compared to the yeast,it is upto you which process you would like to use.
Feeding is to provide the fermenting bacteria more Flour to act upon and making it active.
This can be served with any Indian spiced curries,See AtikiltWot Recipe for ethiopian dishes.
There is no need to cook the Injera on the other side,it is only cooked on one side.
Restaurants add a good amount of all purpose flour to get the spongy and aesthetic effect,Pure teff Injeras are made traditionally in Ethiopia and are much heavier and denser compared to the ones with added flours.
Barley,wheat etc are also used in the Injera by some.There should be at least one kind of gluten building flour for the restaurant effect.
If you do not have Teff Flour,you can try the Red Finger Millet flour(Ragi).
You can store the Starter in the refrigerator for later use.