Injera Pur

Injera is a traditional Ethiopian bread made from teff, a grain with high nutritional value. In times of crisis, particularly in regions affected by droughts and soil degradation, injera often becomes the only available meal, consumed without traditional accompaniments like vegetables, meat, or legumes.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups teff flour (or a mix of teff and wheat flour)
• 2-3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon yeast (optional, traditionally it ferments naturally)

PREPARATION

1. Prepare the batter: In a bowl, mix the teff flour with water until you have a smooth, liquid batter. Add salt and yeast if using to speed up the fermentation process.
2. Fermentation: Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let it sit for 1-3 days to ferment. In warmer climates, fermentation may take less time. The batter should have a slightly sour smell.
3. Diluting the batter: Once the batter has fermented, gently stir it. If it is too thick, add more water until the consistency resembles pancake batter.
4. Cooking the injera: Heat a low-sided skillet (preferably non-stick) over medium heat. Pour a thin layer of batter into the pan, much like making a crepe. Cook until the surface is covered with small bubbles and the batter is no longer raw. Injera is cooked on only one side, so do not flip it.
5. Serving: Once the injera is cooked, remove it from the skillet and place it on a plate.

Injera in Ethiopian and Eritrean Context

In Ethiopia and Eritrea, injera is not just a dietary staple but also a symbol of community and daily life. This fermented teff bread, consumed for centuries, plays a key role in the cuisine of these regions, yet its production and availability are heavily dependent on economic and ecological conditions. As agricultural corporations and industrial activities begin to take control of fertile lands in Africa, access to teff flour and other basic ingredients is becoming increasingly limited.

Teff, the primary ingredient in injera, requires specific growing conditions, and the global demand for health foods has driven up its price, making this traditional grain more expensive and harder to obtain for local farmers. Corporations, focusing on export production and intensive monoculture farming, are displacing traditional farming methods, deepening poverty in rural areas.

As access to land and natural resources diminishes, and global markets drive prices higher, many people in Ethiopia and Eritrea face challenges in obtaining nutritious food. Injera, which was once served with a variety of accompaniments such as meat, vegetables, and legumes, often becomes the sole meal, eaten alone.

The lack of access to diverse ingredients that used to complement injera leads to malnutrition, particularly among the poorest communities. Even though Ethiopia and Eritrea have a long history of agriculture and rich culinary traditions, the activities of agricultural corporations and environmental degradation are making traditional cuisine increasingly impoverished, with basic products like teff becoming harder to acquire.