Eba (Garri Swallow)

Name: Eba (Garri Swallow)
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 7 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: West African
Ingredients: 300 g (about 2 cups) Garri (yellow or white); 450 ml Water, boiling; 50 ml Extra boiling water, to adjust; 20 ml Cold water, for wetting the spoon and hands; to serve Egusi, okra or ogbono soup; 1-2 tbsp (10-20 g) Extra garri, if the eba is too soft

West African

Side Difficulty: Easy Servings: 3 Total: 7 min

Ingredients

Garri (yellow or white) 300 g (about 2 cups)
Water, boiling 450 ml
Extra boiling water, to adjust 50 ml
Cold water, for wetting the spoon and hands 20 ml
Egusi, okra or ogbono soup to serve
Extra garri, if the eba is too soft 1-2 tbsp (10-20 g)

Prep

2 min

Cook

5 min

Instructions

1
Bring the water to a full boil and pour 450 ml of it into a heatproof bowl.
2
Sprinkle the garri evenly over the water in a thin layer, a handful at a time, until it covers the surface and just stops sinking.
3
Leave it to stand for 1-2 minutes so the garri absorbs the water.
4
Stir firmly with a wooden spoon, pressing and folding the mass against the side of the bowl for 1-2 minutes until it is smooth and free of dry lumps.
5
If it is too stiff, add a little of the extra boiling water and keep turning; if it is too soft, sprinkle in a little more garri.
6
Wet the spoon or your hands with cold water and shape the eba into 3 smooth balls of about 250 g.
7
Serve hot with a bowl of soup; pinch off pieces with the fingers and dip them in the soup.