Sudanese Kisra on the Griddle
Kisra needs a batter fermented for two days and loose like pouring cream. The ferment gives the sourness and the bubbles, and those bubbles are what make the 'eyes' on the griddle — and the eyes are what let the kisra soak up the mullah.
- Prep
- 2880 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 2910 min
- Calories
- 130
Kisra is the daily bread of Sudan, eaten with every kind of mullah (stew). Fermented sorghum flour is spread very thin on a hot griddle, and the result is a spongy sheet full of holes that catch the sauce.
Method
-
1
Mix
Mix the sorghum and wheat flour with the warm water gradually until you have a smooth, pourable batter with no lumps — thinner than pancake batter.
⏱ 12 min -
2
Ferment
Add the old starter or the yeast, cover the bowl with a cloth, and leave it somewhere warm for 24 to 48 hours. It will ferment, bubble and take on a light sour smell — that is the sign of success.
⏱ 2880 min -
3
Adjust
Stir the batter and add the salt. If it has thickened, loosen it with warm water until it is like pouring cream.
⏱ 5 min -
4
Heat the griddle
Heat a griddle or wide non-stick pan over medium-high heat and wipe it with a cloth dipped in oil (do not flood it).
⏱ 4 min -
5
Spread
Pour a ladleful into the middle of the griddle and spread it in one quick movement with the back of the ladle or a scraper, working outwards in a spiral.
⏱ 2 min -
6
Cook
Leave it until the eyes appear and the surface dries (about a minute) and do not flip it. Lift it with a scraper from the edges.
⏱ 25 min -
7
Store
Stack the sheets in a clean cloth so they stay soft.
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Tips that actually matter
- The ferment is not optional — it is the source of the sourness and the eyes. Without it you get a dense sorghum sheet.
- Kisra cooks on one side only. Flipping destroys the eyes.
- Keep half a cup of the fermented batter as a starter for next time — it ferments faster and tastes better.
- Wipe the griddle with an oiled cloth rather than pouring oil in — oil prevents the grip you need for spreading.
People also ask
What is the difference between kisra and injera?
Both are fermented breads with holes. Ethiopian injera uses teff flour and is thicker and larger; Sudanese kisra uses white sorghum, is much thinner, and its sourness is milder.
Why are there no eyes?
The ferment was too short, the griddle was not hot enough, or the batter is too thick. The bubbles need a full ferment and high heat to burst at the surface.
What is it eaten with?
With every kind of Sudanese mullah: okra mullah, weika, yogurt mullah, tagalia. It is also eaten with sugar and milk for breakfast.
Cook mode
Sudanese Kisra on the Griddle
-
1
Mix
Mix the sorghum and wheat flour with the warm water gradually until you have a smooth, pourable batter with no lumps — thinner than pancake batter.
-
2
Ferment
Add the old starter or the yeast, cover the bowl with a cloth, and leave it somewhere warm for 24 to 48 hours. It will ferment, bubble and take on a light sour smell — that is the sign of success.
-
3
Adjust
Stir the batter and add the salt. If it has thickened, loosen it with warm water until it is like pouring cream.
-
4
Heat the griddle
Heat a griddle or wide non-stick pan over medium-high heat and wipe it with a cloth dipped in oil (do not flood it).
-
5
Spread
Pour a ladleful into the middle of the griddle and spread it in one quick movement with the back of the ladle or a scraper, working outwards in a spiral.
-
6
Cook
Leave it until the eyes appear and the surface dries (about a minute) and do not flip it. Lift it with a scraper from the edges.
-
7
Store
Stack the sheets in a clean cloth so they stay soft.
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