Ethiopian Injera — Sourdough Flatbread with Vegetable Stew

👨‍🍳 Method

To assemble

1. 1
   In a bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, yeast and salt.

   Bowl
2. 2
   Add the water and mix into a thin, smooth batter, not a dough.

   Whisk
3. 3
   Cover and Let rise 30 minutes at room temperature, until the batter is full of bubbles.

   ⚙ ProofingPlastic wraporKitchen towel
4. 4
   Heat a medium-large pan over medium heat.

   ⚙ Greased Flat PanStoveFrying pan
5. 5
   Pour a full Ladle of batter into the pan and spread it into a thin round.

   Ladle
6. 6
   Cook covered for 3–4 minutes on one side only, without flipping, until the top is full of bubbles and the edges look dry.

   Stove

   💡Don't flip the lahoh: the top cooks in the steam rising from the batter and stays soft and full of holes, while only the bottom browns.
7. 7
   Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStovePot
8. 8
   Add the onion and fry 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
9. 9
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.
10. 10
    Sprinkle in the turmeric, cumin and hot paprika and stir for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant.
11. 11
    Add the legumes and water and bring to a boil.

    Stove
12. 12
    Turn down the heat and simmer with the lid slightly open 20 minutes, until the legumes is tender.

    ⚙ SimmeringStove

    💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
13. 13
    Season with salt, taste and adjust.
14. 14
    Serve the lentil stew over the rounds.