Ethiopia | Breakfast

Genfo

Ethiopian thick barley or wheat porridge served with a well of spiced butter and berbere in the center.

Country
Ethiopia
Region
East Africa
Time
30 min
Serves
4
Level
medium
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Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Genfo is a thick Ethiopian breakfast porridge shaped with a crater of spiced butter and berbere. It is simple, filling, and deeply warming.

What the dish tastes like

Ethiopian thick barley or wheat porridge served with a well of spiced butter and berbere in the center.

When to cook it

Best for breakfast, postpartum meals, and cold mornings.. Plan on a medium cook and about 30 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Niter kibbeh, berbere, yogurt, or plain milk.

Regional lane

Injera and wot table. Stews, sauces, and flatbread built for communal injera service.

Chef watch-outs
  • Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
  • Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
  • Cooking on heat that is too high once the dish should be steaming or simmering.
How you know it is ready
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
  • Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
  • The final texture should match the dish style before you plate it.
Pantry lane

teff, berbere, mitmita, niter kibbeh, split peas

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Each recipe supports one main image and up to four extra prep, serving, or step photos when they are available.

Genfo recipe from Ethiopia
Genfo finished dish
Chef board

Build the table around Genfo

Niter kibbeh, berbere, yogurt, or plain milk.

Best route from here

Injera and wot table

Collections to keep cooking
Breakfast and Tea Table
Servings 4

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

How to cook it

Step-by-step method

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Ethiopia
4 steps 5 min prep 25 min cook 30 min total medium
1
Boil water
Bring water and salt to a steady boil.
boil 05:00
2
Add flour
Lower heat and add flour gradually while stirring hard.
stir flour 08:00
3
Cook thick
Keep stirring until the porridge becomes thick, smooth, and pulls from the pot.
cook genfo 15:00
4
Shape and finish
Shape in a bowl, make a center well, and fill with spiced butter and berbere.
finish 03:00

Barley flour, wheat flour, or mixed grain flour may be used depending on household and region.

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