World Stroll
Ethiopian recipe

How to make Genfo

ገንፎ

The highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea

Genfo
Photo: Stefan Alfons Tzeggai, CC BY-SA 3.0

A thick porridge of barley or wheat flour, shaped into a mound with a hollow in the middle that is filled with spiced butter and berbere. Pieces are scooped from the edge and dipped into the butter. It is a breakfast for special days and is given to new mothers.

Serves 4 25 min

Ingredients

  • 200 g barley flour (or wholemeal wheat flour)
  • About 750 ml water
  • Half a teaspoon of salt
  • 60 g niter kibbeh or butter, melted
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons berbere spice mix

Method

  1. Bring the water and salt to the boil in a heavy pan.
  2. Add the flour a little at a time, stirring hard with a wooden spoon so no lumps form. Take care: thick porridge can spit.
  3. Keep stirring over a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the porridge is very thick and smooth and comes away from the pan.
  4. Tip it into a bowl, shape it into a mound and press a deep hollow into the middle with the back of a wet spoon.
  5. Mix the melted butter with the berbere, pour it into the hollow and serve warm.
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