Genfo - Sunday Porridge with a Simple Swap

Genfo or Ga’at is such a nostalgic and savory breakfast porridge. It reminds me of childhood and being woken up to a warm bowl on Sunday morning. We only had it as a special treat growing up, so I assumed it was a difficult recipe. Genfo, however, is a simple dish, and even simpler to make vegan. It consists of ingredients already in your cupboard and just bit of arm strength. 

The traditional recipe calls for niter kibbeh - the staple Ethiopian/Eritrean clarified spiced butter, similar to Indian ghee. We don’t all have kibbeh laying around the house, unless you are lucky and your aunt brought you some from Addis or you’re making it at home. This is when alternative vegan oils and butters can be incorporated. 

Whether you’re out of kibbeh, are vegan, or just want to lighten up on the saturated animal fats, there are tons of flavorful alternatives! A few of my favorites are olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil, each with their own health benefits and flavor profiles. This genfo recipe calls for olive oil, as it’s spicy and savory taste is appreciated by the Ethiopian/Eritrean palate.

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

1 cup oat milk 

1 cup water 

½ tsp salt 

1 ¼ cup flour

3 tbsp olive oil

1tbsp berbere 

Combine milk, water and salt into a pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reserve ¼ cup of the boiled liquid for later. Add sifted flour to the pot of liquid. Mix and mash out lumps while cooking for 3 minutes. Add a little bit of reserved liquid & continue to mash while cooking. Repeat this process 3 times until reserved liquid is used up and genfo is well cooked and thickened into stiff dough-like consistency. Split and roll genfo in two balls and place in bowls. Create wells in the middle and pour olive oil inside.  Mix berbere into oil for desired spiciness. Serve immediately and enjoy with a spoon,  dipping bite-size pieces of genfo into wells of berbere oil.