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Genfo
Thick barley porridge
Thick barley porridge with a well of spiced butter and berbere
EthiopianGenfo is a very thick barley porridge from the Tigray and Amhara highlands, cooked for breakfast on cold mornings and above all for new mothers, who are given it for weeks after birth to regain strength. The porridge is shaped into a mound, a hollow is made in the middle and filled with niter kibbeh and berbere, and everyone dips spoonfuls of porridge into the spicy butter, often with yoghurt around the edge. For a fasting version, fill the well with spiced oil. Chef's tip: stir with a wooden spoon the whole time you add the flour, and be firm; genfo is meant to be as thick as stiff mashed potato.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 ¾ cups water
- ½ tsp salt
- 10 ½ oz roasted barley flouror barley flour toasted in a dry pan
- 4 tbsp niter kibbehmelted
- 2 tsp berbere
- 5 ½ oz plain yoghurt (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring 3 ¾ cups water and ½ tsp salt to the boil in a heavy pan.
5 minStep 2: Turn the heat to low. Add 10 ½ oz roasted barley flour a little at a time, stirring firmly with a wooden spoon to break up every lump. Lumps are the most common mistake, so add the flour slowly and keep beating.
5 minStep 3: Keep stirring and pressing for 8–10 minutes over a low heat until it is very thick, smooth and pulls away from the sides of the pan as one mass.
9 minStep 4: Wet a bowl, pack the genfo into it, then turn it out onto a plate as a dome. Press a deep well in the centre with the back of a spoon.
Step 5: Mix 4 tbsp niter kibbeh with 2 tsp berbere and pour into the well. Spoon 5 ½ oz plain yoghurt around the base and serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does genfo take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
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