# 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.

**Sudanese Cuisine · 2910 min · 6 servings · 130 kcal per serving**

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.

## Ingredients


### Dough
- 3 cups — white sorghum flour
- 0.5 cup — wheat flour
- 4 cups — warm water
- 0.5 cup — old fermented starter (or 1 tsp yeast)
- 1 tsp — salt

### الصاج
- 2 tbsp — oil for wiping

## 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.
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.

## Tips

- 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.

## FAQ

### 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.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/sudanese-cuisine/sudanese-kisra-on-the-griddle
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-09-12