Eba (Garri Swallow)

Name: Eba (Garri Swallow)
Yield: 4
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 2 cups (240 g) garri: yellow or white, to family preference; 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) boiling water, plus more as needed; Pinch of salt (optional)

AfricanSwallowNigerian-American

Eba is cassava granules (garri) hydrated with boiling water into a firm, slightly sour dough. It is the everyday swallow of Nigerian homes: faster than pounded yam, sturdier than amala, and the reliable partner to egusi, okro, and ogbono.

Time: 10 min
Serves: 4
Patience: Gentle
Occasion: Everyday

Where this dish comes from

Garri is fermented cassava; yellow garri (with palm oil) is common in the southwest, white garri in the southeast. Eba belongs to every region but Igbo and Edo households often prefer it to pounded yam for weekday meals.

Swallow technique: same as all swallows: right hand only at communal meals, small ball, thumb dent, dip in soup, swallow without chewing. Eba holds soup well because it is firmer than pounded yam. Pair with egusi, okro soup, ogbono, onugbu (bitter leaf) soup, or nsala (white soup).

Ingredients

2 cups (240 g) garri: yellow or white, to family preference
2 1/2 cups (600 ml) boiling water, plus more as needed
Pinch of salt (optional)

The method

Step 1: Bring water to a rolling boil in a kettle or pot.

Step 2: Pour garri in a steady stream into the boiling water while stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula: roughly 2 parts garri to 2 1/2 parts water by volume, adjusted for garri brand.

Step 3: Keep stirring off heat until smooth and lump-free. If too stiff, sprinkle hot water and stir; if too soft, add garri gradually.

Step 4: Cover 2 minutes to steam, then stir once more. Shape into mounds on plates.

Step 5: Serve immediately with hot soup. Best pairings: egusi, okro, ogbono, vegetable soup.

Family notes ✎

Some families stir garri into water; others pour water onto garri in a bowl, technique affects texture. Ask which is yours.
Slightly sour white garri from Igbo markets tastes different from sweet yellow Lagos garri, note your source.
Let it steam covered 2 minutes off heat: lumps soften and the swallow sets evenly.

Substitutions

Preferred: Yellow or white garri from a brand your family already trusts.
Emergency: Microwave method: mix garri and water, microwave 2 minutes, stir, common in dorm kitchens.
Emergency: Semovita follows similar stir logic if garri is unavailable: document as a swap, not eba.

On the calendarWeeknight dinner and the swallow that never misses.