Injera Baking Pan
Hi, I want to ask for any Injera bakers out there, what **pans** have you had success with? I often hear that people use some sort of electric grill such as this one. However, I'd rather not purchase one of these. It's a big item to have that I'd probably only use for this service.
I also know it's possible to cook Injera in a skillet. I've had limited success with a simple, cheap non-stick skillet. The only problem is that it does not spread out the head very well. The center of the Injera is often less well developed. On the other hand, when I've used a more expensive skillet, the Injera didn't rise very well. I think it might have taken too long to heat up.
Anyway, I wonder if there are any Injera makers out there that have any suggestions about equipment they've had success with.
In Ethiopia the various injera I did see being cooked, were cooked over a fire (in locations with no electricity) on a large thin circular piece of metal, which was preheated. The cook quickly poured the injera batter onto the hot metal from a height (i.e. not pouring close to the 'pan'), in a circular motion starting from the outside and twirling around & around to the centre - not manually spreading it out as is done with crepes, no tilting of the 'pan' either. You may need to adjust your injera batter with a bit more water to achieve a good pouring consistency so that it spreads well for you. A YouTube search maybe worthwhile.
Not wanting to spring for an expensive mitad or lefse grill, I found at Walmart a 15 inch Lodge cast iron skillet on sale for $40, and improvised a cover out of a $5 aluminum pizza from a restaurant supply store. Works well.
I prefer Lodge pans like the ones in this article. I am satisfied with the combination of price and quality of the material used. Of course, one could take dishes from more famous brands, but why pay extra for the name?