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Kitcha
Unleavened flatbread
ቂጣ (kitcha): Ethiopian unleavened flatbread baked on the mitad, made with no salt
Kitcha (qita) is the everyday quick bread of the Ethiopian and Eritrean highlands, baked when there is no time to ferment injera, and eaten for breakfast with tea or coffee, or torn up as kitcha fitfit with spiced butter and berbere. The dough is just flour and water, spread thick on a hot mitad griddle and cooked on both sides until speckled and firm. Traditionally there is no salt in it at all: about 0.0 g salt per portion, so it sits well beside salty stews. The usual mistake is spreading it too thin, which gives a cracker; aim for 1 cm so the middle stays soft. Barley or teff flour can replace some of the wheat for a nuttier bread. Chef's tip: press a little hollow in the middle with your fingers before turning, and the bread cooks evenly without a raw centre.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz wholemeal flour
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tsp sunflower oilfor the pan
- ½ tsp berbere spice (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz wholemeal flour and 1 cup warm water (with ½ tsp berbere spice if using) into a thick, sticky batter-dough, like soft porridge. Rest for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 2: Heat a large non-stick pan or griddle over a medium heat and wipe with 1 tsp sunflower oil.
2 minStep 3: Spread the dough in the pan with a wet spatula or wet fingers into a round about 1 cm thick. Press a small hollow into the centre.
2 minStep 4: Cover and cook for 7–8 minutes until the underside is golden with dark spots and the top looks dry.
8 minStep 5: Turn and cook for 6–7 minutes more, until it sounds hollow when tapped and a skewer in the middle comes out clean. Cut into wedges and serve warm.
7 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kitcha 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
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