ቁሳቁስ ምጣድ
አማርኛ

Ethiopian pottery

ምጣድMitad

How is a mitad made? From wet clay to the first injera.

A step-by-step look at how the wide clay plate that every household bakes its injera on is shaped by hand, fired and seasoned for its first injera.

See the stepsWhat is a mitad?

What is a mitad?ምጣድ ምንድን ነው?

A mitad is the round clay griddle that injera is baked on.

A mitad is a flat clay plate about half a metre across. It sits over the fire on three hearth stones, or on a stove built of mud, with the fire burning underneath. Injera batter is poured onto it in a spiral from the edge in, covered with a domed lid, and is ready in a few minutes.

Like the jebena, it is made by hand by women potters. Before it is used, its face is rubbed with ground rapeseed or oil so the injera will not stick, and over time it turns black and glossy. Electric mitads are now common in towns, but many people say injera from a clay mitad tastes better.

The parts of a mitad

ክፍሎች

A mitad never works alone: the stones, the fire and the lid all work together on every injera.

A mitad over a wood fire on a round packed-earth hearth: a black clay plate 56 cm across resting on three rounded hearth stones, with split logs laid in between them and a mound of embers underneath. A round injera lies on the plate under a domed clay lid with a knob on top, grooves round it and a row of vent holes. The lid and the injera lift off. Point at the figure, or at a part in the list, to see that part. The arrow keys step through the parts, Space takes it apart or puts it together, and Escape puts it back.

  1. The wide, flat clay plate. It spreads the heat evenly, so the whole injera cooks at once.

  2. The domed clay lid. It holds in the steam, so the top of the injera cooks without being turned.

  3. Three stones that hold the plate above the fire, with room between them to feed in wood.

  4. As the batter cooks, small holes called "eyes" open over its top. A good injera is known by its eyes.

  5. A wood fire. The baker sets the heat by pushing the logs in or drawing them out.

What goes into a mitad

ግብዓቶች

  • Potter's clay

    የሸክላ አፈር

    Clay dug by a river or from a known pit, cleaned of stones and roots.

  • Crushed pottery

    ስብርባሪ

    Old broken pots, crushed and mixed into the clay, so the plate can stand the heat.

  • Rapeseed

    የጎመን ዘር

    Ground and rubbed into the face to season it, so the injera comes away cleanly.

How a mitad is made, step by step

አሠራር

From a mound of clay to the first injera: at this width, every step has to be done slowly and evenly.

  1. ፩Step 1

    Prepare the clay

    ሸክላውን ማዘጋጀት

    The clay is mixed with sand and crushed pieces of old pottery, which help it stand the heat of the fire without cracking.

  2. ፪Step 2

    Spread the plate

    ሰሌዳውን መዘርጋት

    The clay is spread out on a bed of sand or cloth on the ground and beaten flat by hand, to the same thickness right to the edge.

  3. ፫Step 3

    Smooth the face

    ገጹን ማለስለስ

    The face is smoothed with wet hands and a smooth stone, and the edge is rounded over a little.

  4. ፬Step 4

    Make the lid

    አክንባሎውን መሥራት

    The lid is made separately, a clay dome sized to the plate, with a knob on top and a ring of small holes to let out steam.

  5. ፭Step 5

    Dry it slowly

    ማድረቅ

    The wide plate dries slowly in the shade for several days, so it neither warps nor cracks.

  6. ፮Step 6

    Fire it

    በእሳት ማቃጠል

    The plate and the lid are fired in an open fire. The clay hardens and turns red.

  7. ፯Step 7

    Season it

    ማሟሸት

    Before the first injera, the hot plate is rubbed with ground rapeseed or oil. After many bakings its face turns black and glossy.

Baking injera

እንጀራ ጋገራ

Teff flour is mixed with water and left to ferment for a few days, then baked on the mitad one injera at a time.

  • Pour

    ማፍሰስ

    The batter is poured thin in a spiral, from the edge of the plate to the middle.

  • Cover

    መክደን

    The lid goes on at once. The steam cooks the injera through, and its eyes open.

  • Lift off

    ማንሳት

    After two or three minutes the injera is lifted onto a sefed, and the plate is ready for the next.

Next object

Clay

Ensira · እንስራ

The large clay jar that water is carried in and kept cool.

How it's made →