Africa

Kisra: Sudanese Fermented Sorghum Flatbread

Name: Kisra: Sudanese Fermented Sorghum Flatbread
Prep time: 24 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 24 h 30 min
Yield: 4 servings (about 12 crêpes)
Cuisine: Sudanese
Ingredients: 300 g Sorghum flour; 500 ml Lukewarm water (35–40°C); 50 g All-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1 tbsp Neutral oil; 2 tbsp Plain yogurt; 300 g Beef (stew cut); 2 (finely chopped) Onion; 1 can (400 g) Canned tomatoes; 3 tbsp Peanut butter (unsweetened); 8 Okra; 3 cloves Garlic; 2 tbsp Neutral oil; 1 Bouillon cube; as needed Salt and pepper; 1 tsp Ground cumin; 1 tsp Ground coriander; 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

How to make Sudanese kisra, the thin fermented sorghum crêpe eaten as a staple: batter fermentation tips, baking on one side, a mulah (stew) to eat it with, substitutes, storage, and the food culture behind it.

Published: October 25, 2026Total: 24 hr 30 minLevel: Intermediate

Cooking flow

Cooking steps

STEP 11 / 8

Mix the sorghum flour with water

5 min

Sorghum flour being mixed with lukewarm water to make the batter — Add lukewarm water to the sorghum flour a little at a time while mixing. Lumps leave holes and uneven thickness when baked, so mix until smooth

Put 300 g sorghum flour and 50 g all-purpose flour in a large bowl and whisk well, adding 500 ml lukewarm water (35–40°C) a little at a time. To avoid lumps, work it first with a small amount of water and add the rest gradually. Aim for a batter slightly thinner than crêpe batter, one that pours smoothly.

Add 1/2 tsp salt, and if you want to speed up fermentation, add 2 tbsp plain yogurt.

STEP 22 / 8

Ferment the batter

12–24 hours

Fermented sorghum batter with small bubbles floating on the surface — Batter fermented 24 hours. Tiny bubbles show on the surface and a slightly sour aroma drifts up. This is the ideal state of fermentation

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature (25–30°C) for 12–24 hours. In Sudanese homes it is traditional to add leftover batter from the day before to the next batch as a "starter," which steadies the fermentation. In a home kitchen, yogurt can stand in for the starter.

As fermentation proceeds, small bubbles float on the surface of the batter and it gives off a slightly sour smell. This is evidence that lactic acid bacteria are active. Seeing bubbles is the sign that fermentation is done. If fermentation is insufficient, the kisra flavor is flat, and if it goes too far, the sourness becomes too strong.

How to judge fermentation

Whether kisra fermentation is just right is judged by smell and the amount of bubbles. A light, fresh sourness like yogurt is right. If it smells strongly sour like cheese, it has over-fermented. Over-fermented batter can be softened by stirring in an extra 50 g of fresh sorghum flour.

STEP 33 / 8

Adjust the thickness of the batter

3 min

Kisra batter falling from a spoon in a thin ribbon — Adjust the batter so it falls in an unbroken thin ribbon. If it is too thick or too thin, it will not bake thin

After fermentation, the batter has more water and is a little looser. The ideal thickness is one where, when you scoop some with a spoon and let it fall, it drops in an unbroken thin ribbon about 2–3 mm wide. If it is too thick, add 1–2 tbsp water; if too thin, add 1–2 tbsp sorghum flour.

STEP 44 / 8

Bake thin in a frying pan

2–3 min per crêpe

Kisra baking in a large frying pan, with the batter being spread by hand — Pour the batter into the pan and spread it quickly. In Sudan a large iron griddle (dokka) bakes it in one go, but at home a crêpe pan is best

Heat a nonstick frying pan or a crêpe pan well over medium heat. Soak a paper towel with oil and wipe the pan with a thin coat.

Pour one ladle of batter into the center of the pan and immediately tilt the pan to spread it over the whole surface. Or spread it in circles with a crêpe spreader (a T-shaped spatula). In Sudanese homes, a large iron griddle called a dokka is used and the batter is spread quickly with the palm of the hand.

Bake over low to medium heat for 2–3 minutes, until the edges lift naturally and the surface is dry. Kisra is baked on one side only. There is no need to flip it.

Tips on doneness

Baking on one side is correct for kisra. The sign it is done is that the surface is completely dry and the edges lift naturally from the pan. You do not need to brown it. If you bake it too long it turns crisp and breaks when you tear it to dip into the stew. It is best to keep it moist and flexible.

STEP 55 / 8

Stack the baked kisra

10 min

Baked kisra stacked in a bamboo basket — Stack the baked kisra as you go. The moist texture and thinness come through. The ideal is for each one to be baked to an even thinness

Peel the baked kisra carefully from the pan and stack them on a plate. The ideal is to stack them while the surface is dry, the edges are naturally lifted, and the whole is moist and soft. In Sudanese homes, freshly baked kisra is piled in a basket woven of bamboo or palm leaf.

Until all the batter is used, repeat: oil the pan again, pour the batter, spread it, and bake over low to medium heat. 300 g of flour makes about 12 kisra.

STEP 66 / 8

Make the mulah (stew)

40 min

Mulah (stew) simmering in a pot, with peanut and okra thickening visible — Simmering mulah niamiya. The richness of peanut and the thickness of okra join the tomato base to make a stew that goes superbly with kisra

Kisra alone does not make a meal. In Sudan it is always eaten with a stew called mulah (mulah / ملاح). Here is how to make the most common one, "mulah niamiya" (niamiya stew).

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pot and cook the chopped onion over medium heat for 8 minutes, until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add the cumin, coriander, and cayenne and cook for 1 minute.

Add the beef cut into bite-size pieces and cook for 5 minutes until browned on the surface. Add the canned tomatoes, 200 ml water, and the bouillon cube, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

STEP 77 / 8

Add the okra and peanut butter

10 min

Mulah thickened with okra and peanut butter — It is done when the thickness of the okra and the oil of the peanut blend together and give the stew a light body

Cut the okra into 1 cm pieces and add it to the stew. Dissolve 3 tbsp peanut butter in 2 tbsp lukewarm water, add it to the stew, and stir well. Simmer another 10 minutes over low heat, and when the thickness of the okra and the richness of the peanuts have melted into the stew, it is done. Adjust with salt and pepper.

STEP 88 / 8

Serve

3 min

STEP 8

Spread 3–4 kisra on a large platter and mound the mulah in the center. In the Sudanese way, you tear the kisra by hand and dip it in the mulah to eat. You can also roll it up with a fork.

0 / 0

Ingredients

1 / 3

Kisra batter

Ingredient	Amount	Substitutes & notes
Sorghum flour	300 g	200 g whole wheat flour plus 100 g buckwheat flour can stand in (to reproduce the grain character)
Lukewarm water (35–40°C)	500 ml	The temperature that encourages fermentation matters
All-purpose flour	50 g	A binder. Omit to make it gluten-free
Salt	1/2 tsp	—
Neutral oil	1 tbsp	To keep the crêpes from sticking when baking

2 / 3

Fermentation starter (optional)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Plain yogurt	2 tbsp	Speeds up fermentation. Can be omitted

3 / 3

Accompaniment (mulah niamiya)

Ingredient	Amount	Substitutes & notes
Beef (stew cut)	300 g	Bone-in meat adds savoriness
Onion	2 (finely chopped)	—
Canned tomatoes	1 can (400 g)	4 fresh tomatoes also work
Peanut butter (unsweetened)	3 tbsp	Peanut paste also works
Okra	8	Essential for thickening. Frozen is fine
Garlic	3 cloves	—
Neutral oil	2 tbsp	—
Bouillon cube	1	—
Salt and pepper	as needed	—
Ground cumin	1 tsp	—
Ground coriander	1 tsp	—
Cayenne pepper	1/2 tsp	Adjust the heat to taste

0 / 0

A Fermented Staple of the Nile Valley

Sudan is a country where the White Nile and the Blue Nile meet at its capital, Khartoum, and there is a dish that sits at the center of the table at every meal, morning, noon, and night. It is kisra (Kisra / Kissra / كسرة).

Kisra is a crêpe-like bread made by mixing sorghum flour with water, fermenting the batter for at least a night, and baking it thin. In appearance it resembles a French crêpe or Ethiopian injera, but the taste is entirely different. The grain-like sweetness peculiar to sorghum meets the mild sourness of lactic fermentation, and even on its own it has a depth of flavor.

Sorghum has a long history as a staple grain in the Nile region and in Africa, and fermented flatbreads made from it are part of Sudan's food culture. Dirar's study of Sudan's traditional fermented foods, The Indigenous Fermented Foods of the Sudan (1993), is a study of the subject.

What is kisra?

The name is said to come from an Arabic verb meaning "to break or tear," because in Sudan the kisra is torn by hand and eaten with each dish. Where Ethiopian injera uses teff flour, kisra uses sorghum flour.

Search for "kisra" or "Sudanese food" in Japanese and you will find almost no proper recipes. Kisra is a good dish to get to know now, at a time when African fermented foods such as Ethiopian injera and Moroccan tagine (in Japanese) are getting attention. This article explains carefully how to re-create kisra with ingredients you can find outside Sudan and how to experience a Sudanese table.

Ingredients (serves 4, about 12 crêpes)

Where to find sorghum flour

Sorghum flour is sold in natural food stores and online, under names such as sorghum flour, milo flour, and white sorghum flour. White sorghum flour for baking is the most widely sold. If you cannot find it, a combination of 200 g whole wheat flour and 100 g buckwheat flour reproduces the grainy character and slight bitterness of sorghum. Millet flour also works, but the flavor is somewhat different.

Sorghum grains and flour, reddish-brown grains and pale flour laid out on wood — Sorghum grain and flour. A cereal native to Africa that is very drought tolerant. It is being re-evaluated worldwide as a gluten-free grain

Allergen notes

This dish contains ingredients that are common allergens. It contains wheat (all-purpose flour), peanuts (peanut butter), buckwheat (listed as a substitute), and milk (yogurt). If you have a wheat allergy, you can leave out the all-purpose flour and make it with only sorghum flour (gluten-free). If you have a peanut allergy, use sesame paste in place of the peanut butter.

Time needed for fermentation

Kisra batter needs at least 12 hours of fermentation, and ideally 24. Mixing it the night before and baking it the next day is the most efficient. In winter, when room temperature is low, fermentation slows, so use the oven's proofing function (around 35°C) or a yogurt maker. Adding yogurt makes fermentation start earlier, but without it the batter will still ferment naturally at room temperature.

Tearing kisra by hand and dipping it in stew to eat — How to eat kisra. Dipping hand-torn kisra into stew and bringing it to the mouth is the Sudanese way. The supple dough wraps the stew well

Tips

Fermentation temperature is the most important thing

Eighty percent of success with kisra is decided in fermentation. The ideal fermentation temperature is 25–35°C. In winter (room temperature 15–20°C) fermentation slows, so secure the temperature in one of these ways: (1) put it in a yogurt maker (the steadiest), (2) set the oven's proofing function to 35°C, (3) lay a damp cloth over the warm mode of a rice cooker to warm it indirectly. In summer, avoid direct sunlight and ferment in a cool, dark place.

Adjusting batter thickness is the key

Kisra batter is ideally "slightly thicker than coffee cream." When you lift a spoonful and let it fall, it should fall in an unbroken thread. If it is too thick it bakes thick, and if too thin it bakes too thin and tears. Because fermentation adds water, mix the batter "a bit on the thick side" before fermenting.

Keep the pan temperature constant

To bake kisra to an even thinness, the pan temperature must be steady. Over high heat, the batter sets too fast to spread, and over low heat it stays sticky and will not peel. Keep medium-low heat (a drop of water evaporates slowly on the pan). Lifting the pan off the heat for about 10 seconds after each crêpe steadies the temperature.

The flavor is completed with the mulah

Kisra on its own is subdued. The sourness of fermentation and the sweetness of the grain are a flavor that is completed only when paired with a fatty, spiced stew (mulah). The oil of the peanuts soaks into the kisra, and the kisra acts as a "vessel" that carries the spice flavor. This relationship parallels that of injera and doro wat.

Variations

Millet kisra

You can make kisra with pearl millet flour instead of sorghum. Use 300 g of millet flour and proceed the same way. It is somewhat sweeter than the sorghum version and the color is a brighter yellow. Millet flour can be found in natural food stores and online.

Wheat-blend version (for beginners)

If you are not set on the authentic flavor, a blend of 150 g all-purpose flour and 150 g sorghum flour is recommended. The gluten in the all-purpose flour acts as a binder and gives a kisra that tears less and is easier to handle. The fermentation time is the same 12–24 hours. If this is your first time making kisra, starting with this blend leads to fewer failures.

Buckwheat kisra (Japanese-style variation)

If you use 300 g buckwheat flour instead of sorghum, the result comes close to a Breton galette (buckwheat crêpe). Buckwheat is also gluten-free and goes well with fermentation, and its distinctive toasty aroma suits the spices of the mulah. Ferment the same 12–24 hours, but buckwheat rises more, so add 50 ml extra water to make the batter looser. As with Indian khichdi, the combination of grain and spice has a universality that crosses borders.

Sweet kisra (dessert version)

Add 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon to the batter, and sprinkle the baked kisra with honey and ground sesame. It is a dessert version that children also enjoy.

Chicken and vegetable mulah

Use 4 bone-in chicken thighs in place of beef and add 2 eggplants and 1 zucchini. If you brown the surface of the chicken first and then simmer, the gelatin in the skin thickens the soup. It has a lightness like the light soup served with Ghanaian fufu.

Background of the Dish

Sorghum and the civilization of the Nile

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), the main ingredient of kisra, is a grain native to northeastern Africa, and archaeological research in eastern Sudan (Winchell et al., 2017) shows that people there used and cultivated sorghum in ancient times.

Sorghum is extremely drought resistant and well adapted to the semi-arid climate of the Nile region. It can be harvested even where wheat and rice will not grow, which is the main reason it has remained the staple in Sudanese cooking.

Fermentation culture and "ajin"

Fermentation is part of everyday food in Sudan, and kisra is at the center of it. Kisra batter is traditionally fermented with a starter culture called "ajin" (ajin / عجين), in which leftover batter from the day before is added to the next batch, a sourdough method. Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts work together in such cultures, giving kisra its flavor and texture.

The idea of this "inheritance of the starter" is close to the house-resident microbes of Japanese miso and soy sauce breweries, and the universal theme of the cultural inheritance of microbes in fermented foods shows through.

The Sudanese table and the culture of shared eating

Sudanese meals center on a large round tray called a "sufra." Kisra is spread on the sufra and the mulah (stew) and salads are arranged on top. Family and guests gather around the sufra and tear the kisra by right hand and dip it in the mulah to eat.

Nutrition (per 3 kisra)

A gluten-free fermented staple

Sorghum is a naturally gluten-free grain.

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	285 kcal
Protein	8 g
Fat	4 g
Carbohydrates	56 g
Fiber	5 g
Sodium	320 mg

Sorghum is rich in B vitamins (especially B1 and B3) and iron. Combined with the beef and peanuts of the mulah, protein and fat complement each other, making a nutritionally balanced meal.

More to Cook Alongside

Introduction to African cuisine: shares ingredients and aromas from the same region.
Introduction to Ethiopian cuisine: shares ingredients and aromas from the same region.
Introduction to Moroccan cuisine (in Japanese): shares ingredients and aromas from the same region.
Egbo (in Japanese): shares ingredients and aromas from the same region.

FAQ

FAQ: Five common questions

Questions that come up often from people making kisra for the first time, from managing fermentation to storage and substitutes.

Q1. I cannot get sorghum flour. What can I substitute?

The closest substitute is a combination of 200 g whole wheat flour and 100 g buckwheat flour. The whole wheat supplies the grain character and the buckwheat adds its distinctive flavor and color. Millet flour and foxtail millet flour also work, but their flavor alone differs, so blending them half and half with whole wheat is recommended. Fermentation works the same in any case.

Q2. What if fermentation isn't working?

If no bubbles appear after 12 hours, the temperature is most likely too low. Move it to a yogurt maker, or set the bowl of batter in a bowl of lukewarm water (about 35°C) to warm it like a water bath. Stirring in 2 tbsp plain yogurt also speeds fermentation. If it still hasn't fermented after 24 hours, do not throw out the batter; add a small amount of dry yeast (1/4 tsp) and wait 4–6 hours.

Q3. How many days does kisra keep?

Baked kisra, wrapped airtight in plastic wrap, keeps 3 days in the refrigerator. Before eating, microwave for 10 seconds or warm lightly on both sides in a frying pan to restore the softness. It can be frozen for 1 month. Wrap each one in plastic wrap, put them in a zip bag, freeze, and let them thaw naturally before warming to eat.

Q4. Is it safe when kisra is baked on only one side?

Yes. Because kisra batter is thin, the residual heat on one side cooks it all the way through. Heating is sufficient if the surface is completely dry and has a matte texture. If you are concerned, extend the baking by 30 seconds or cover with a lid to steam-bake.

Q5. What is the difference between kisra and injera?

The main differences are ingredients and texture. Kisra uses sorghum flour and is baked into a thin, supple crêpe. Injera uses teff flour and is baked thick and spongy. Kisra is often folded or rolled to eat, while injera is laid under the stew as a plate. The fermentation time is similar, 1–3 days for both, but the grain and the way it is baked differ.

Enjoy more African fermented foods

If kisra has caught your interest, try other African fermented foods and grain dishes too.

Injera: Ethiopia's fermented teff bread. You could call it kisra's "cousin"
Doro wat: Ethiopia's spiced chicken stew. Goes superbly with injera and kisra
Ugali: East Africa's cornmeal staple. A non-fermented type that is kneaded and shaped
Fufu: Ghana's yam staple. The culture of tearing it off by hand is shared with kisra
Tibs (in Japanese): Ethiopia's stir-fried meat dish. Ideal alongside injera or kisra

Sources

Dirar, H. A. (1993). The Indigenous Fermented Foods of the Sudan: A Study in African Food and Nutrition. CAB International.
Winchell, F., et al. (2017). "Evidence for sorghum domestication in fourth millennium BC eastern Sudan." Current Anthropology, 58(5), 673-683. https://doi.org/10.1086/693898