Injera with Spiced Shiro Wat

⏱ 90 min · Serves 4

Golden, bubbling shiro wat – a velvety Ethiopian chickpea flour stew spiked with berbere and fragrant spiced butter – scooped up with tangy, spongy injera. This is soul-warming, plant-based comfort food at its finest, and surprisingly straightforward to pull off at home.

Per serving: 520 kcal · 18.0g protein · 82.0g carbs · 13.0g fat

Ingredients

• 350g teff flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 700ml warm water (for injera batter)
• 1 tsp salt (for injera)
• 2 tbsp niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced butter) or regular unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, very finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp berbere spice blend
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 200g chickpea flour (shiro powder or plain)
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 200ml water
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp salt (for wat)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Fresh green chilli, sliced, to serve
• Small handful of fresh coriander, to serve

Method

1. Make the injera batter: whisk the teff flour, yeast and 700ml warm water together in a large bowl until smooth. Cover with a clean cloth and leave to ferment at room temperature for 1–2 hours until slightly bubbly and tangy.
2. Stir 1 tsp salt into the batter. It should be the consistency of thin crêpe batter – add a splash more water if needed.
3. Cook the injera: heat a non-stick frying pan or crêpe pan over medium-high heat. Lightly oil it once, then pour in a ladleful of batter, swirling quickly to cover the base. Cover with a lid and cook for 2–3 minutes until the top is set and full of tiny holes and the edges lift easily. Do not flip. Slide onto a plate and repeat with remaining batter.
4. Make the shiro wat: heat the niter kibbeh or butter and oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 12–15 minutes until deeply golden and soft.
5. Add the garlic, ginger, berbere and cumin and stir-fry for 2 minutes until fragrant.
6. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the vegetable stock and 200ml water, bring to a gentle simmer.
7. Gradually whisk in the chickpea flour a few tablespoons at a time to avoid lumps. Stir continuously and cook over low heat for 10–12 minutes until the wat is thick, smooth and pulling away from the sides of the pan. Season with 1 tsp salt and adjust berbere to taste.
8. Serve the shiro wat spooned onto a large piece of injera with extra injera on the side for scooping. Top with sliced green chilli and fresh coriander.