Ethiopia, where coffee originated, is well known for it’s exquisitely spicy food but most famously for the injera bread – the bread that is a serving plate and also the only eating utensil. It’s a deliciously sour bread served with cooler dishes like Kifto as well as a helping of steaming Tibs and often accompanied by Tej – a local honey wine. Ethiopia is a very religious country and Orthodox Christianity has influenced the food immensely. The Jews, the Orthodox Christians and the Muslims don’t eat pork at all and it’s simply not found on the menu but a range of spicy meat and vegetable dishes are. Ethiopians, almost all of them,

regardless of faith, eat with their right hands, using pieces of injera to pick up bites food. Traditionally, the rich Ethiopians sat on low stools when they ate – with a basin under each diner’s right hand, while a servant poured water over that hand from a jug. The diners (men or women) wiped their hands on a towel provided by the servant and ate from a serving dish that had been lined with injera, breaking off pieces of injera with their right hands only and using the bread to grasp bits of food. When the injera is finished, so is the meal.

Ingredients

• 600 g self raising flour
• 150 g wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 ½ tsp salt
• 500 ml soda water
• Sunflower oil, for frying

Method

• Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and make a well in the middle.
• Gradually beat in the soda water and 1 litre of ordinary tap water until a smooth, thin batter is obtained.
• Heat a crêpe pan – small or large until it is hot.
• Add a little oil, swirl the pan and pour in some batter, swirling it to cover the bottom of the pan in a thin layer – as you would a crêpe.
• Cook until you see little bubbles appear on the surface and then flip it and cook the other side for another 2 – 3 minutes.
• Put the cooked injera on a plate, cover it with a clean dishcloth to keep warm and continue until you’ve used up all the batter.
• Injera can be huge – if you have a massive pan that will do the job –  make a huge one per person and fold it up.