Eba

Ingredients

• 1 large fresh cassava tuber
• Water for washing
• A clean pressing cloth or sack
• A large flat pan for roasting FOR MAKING EBA FROM GARRI:
• 3 big cups of garri (white or yellow)
• Boiling water — approximately 2 glasses per cup of garri
• A pinch of salt — optional

Method

1. 01

   Peeling the Cassava. Peel the cassava using a sharp knife, removing both the outer dark skin and the inner thin pinkish layer beneath. Rinse the peeled cassava thoroughly.

2. 02

   Grating. Grate the peeled cassava on a fine grater or process in a food processor until a fine, wet mash forms.

3. 03

   Fermentation and Pressing. Place the grated cassava in a clean cloth or pressing sack. Tie tightly and place under a heavy weight — such as large stones or a filled bucket — for 2 to 3 days. This simultaneously ferments and presses out the liquid from the cassava. The cassava liquid (which contains hydrocyanic acid) must be fully pressed out.

4. 04

   Sieving. After pressing, break up the dry cassava cake and sieve through a fine sieve to remove fibres. The result is a fine, slightly damp cassava meal.

5. 05

   Roasting to Make Garri. Place the cassava meal in a large dry pan over medium heat. Stir and toss constantly with a wooden spatula for 20 to 30 minutes until completely dried and the grains are lightly toasted — either white (no palm oil) or golden-yellow (with palm oil added during roasting). The garri is ready when completely dry and free-flowing.

6. 06

   Making Eba from Garri. Bring plenty of water to a vigorous rolling boil. Pour garri into the boiling water. Allow to sit 30 seconds, then stir vigorously and turn for 5 to 7 minutes until a smooth, firm, cohesive swallow forms. Mould with wet hands and serve.

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