Eba

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Ẹ̀bà is a staple food mainly eaten in the West African subregion, particularly in Nigeria and some parts of Ghana. It came from Nigeria originally. It is made from dried grated cassava flour, commonly known as garri.

To make ẹ̀bà, garri flour (which should be further pounded or ground if not already 'fine') is mixed into hot water and stirred well with a wooden spatula until it becomes like a firm dough, firmer than, say, mashed potatoes, so it can be rolled into a ball and can keep its shape. When you put hot water in the bowl of garri to make ẹbà, you leave it for a few seconds or minutes; then you stir it until i becomes a firm dough; then you can call it ẹ̀bà.

To eat, a small amount of ẹ̀bà is taken with the fingers and rolled into a small ball and dipped into the ọbẹ̀ (a thick soup) such as okra soup, bitter leaf (ewúro) soup or pepper soup (ọbẹ̀ ata or ẹ̀fọ́ depending on dialect) with either okro, ọgbọnọ (Igbo)/apọn (Yorùbá), or ewédú, meat or fish, stewed vegetables or other sauces such as gbẹ̀gìrì, Amiedi (banga soup) or egusi soup (melon).

Ẹ̀bà can either come in yellow or an off white colour. It comes in yellow, when it is mixed with palm oil. Garri is very rich in starch and carbohydrate. It is quite heavy as a meal and a staple food of West Africans. It is often eaten with richly made soups and stews, with beef, stockfish or mutton depending on personal taste.