The story
Kategna is a Ethiopian starter with a clear sense of place. Kategna is a simple Ethiopian preparation that turns injera into a snack by toasting it with berbere and spiced clarified butter. The recipe below keeps the defining ingredients and technique intact while giving practical metric quantities and enough detail for a home cook to judge texture, seasoning and doneness rather than simply follow a timer.
Ingredients
- 4 piece injera
- 60 g niter kibbehmelted
- 2 tbsp berbere
- 0.5 tsp fine salt
- 180 g fresh tomatodiced, optionaloptional
Method
Mix melted niter kibbeh with berbere and
Mix melted niter kibbeh with berbere and salt to make a loose crimson paste. Taste cautiously; berbere blends vary widely in heat.
Tip: Apply butter after the first toast so it perfumes the bread instead of soaking it before crisping begins. Avoid: Burning berbere makes it bitter; too much butter makes the bread limp; stale dry injera can become brittle.Heat a large dry frying pan or
Heat a large dry frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Toast one injera for 1–2 minutes per side until the edges begin to crisp while the centre remains flexible.
Look for: the edges begin to crisp while the centre remains flexibleBrush the hot surface generously but evenly
Brush the hot surface generously but evenly with the spiced butter, allowing it to sink into the injera’s porous face.
Return to the pan spiced-side up for
Return to the pan spiced-side up for another minute so the butter perfumes the bread without burning the chilli.
Repeat, then cut each injera into wedges
Repeat, then cut each injera into wedges or roll and cut into short pieces.
Serve immediately while crisp at the edges,
Serve immediately while crisp at the edges, optionally with diced tomato to cool the heat.
Look for: Edges are crisp, centre still bends and the berbere smells toasted rather than burnt.
Nutrition
per serving
Estimated from the listed ingredients and default serving size. Actual values vary with brands, trimming, absorption and cooking losses.
