Alright folks, let me tell you about my little adventure in trying to whip up an African breakfast spread. I saw a title about “African breakfast dishes” and thought, “Hey, why not?” I’m always up for trying new stuff, especially when it comes to food.
First thing I did was jump online and start digging. I wanted to get a feel for what even is a typical African breakfast. Turns out, Africa’s a big place, and breakfast looks wildly different depending on where you are. So, I decided to pick a few dishes that seemed interesting and achievable for a regular home cook like myself.
I settled on trying Injera with some kind of stew, and maybe some Mandazi. Sounded fun! So I started with the Injera.
Injera:
- I had heard that it’s tricky, but I was like, whatever, I can do it. Bought some Teff flour at the local international market. Followed a recipe I found online – mixed the Teff flour with water and let it ferment for a couple of days. Man, that stuff got sour! I mean, seriously sour.
- The recipe said to cook it on a large, flat griddle. Didn’t have one of those, so I used my biggest non-stick pan. The first few tries were a disaster. The Injera kept sticking and tearing. Turns out, you need the pan to be screaming hot.
- After a few more tries, I finally started getting some that resembled Injera – thin, spongy, and slightly tangy. They weren’t perfect, but hey, they were edible!
Stew:
- Okay, so I didn’t want to spend all day cooking, so I opted for a simple lentil stew. Fried up some onions, garlic, and ginger. Added in some red lentils, diced tomatoes, and a bunch of spices – cumin, coriander, turmeric, a little chili powder.
- Let it simmer for about half an hour until the lentils were soft and the stew had thickened up. Added a squeeze of lemon juice at the end to brighten it up. Simple, but tasty.
Mandazi:
- Now these, I was excited about. Basically, they’re African doughnuts. Mixed flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom, and coconut milk. Kneaded it into a dough and let it rest for a bit.
- Then I rolled out the dough and cut it into triangles. Deep-fried them in hot oil until they were golden brown. These were seriously good – crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and perfectly sweet.
So, how did it all turn out? Honestly, it was a mixed bag. The Injera was okay, but definitely not as good as what you’d get at a restaurant. The lentil stew was surprisingly good. But the Mandazi? Those were the stars of the show. I could eat those all day long.
Would I make it all again? Probably. It was a fun experience, and I learned a lot. Plus, now I know how to make Mandazi, and that’s a skill worth having. If you’re feeling adventurous, give it a try! You might surprise yourself.
I think next time I will find a better injera recipe to follow.
