How to Make Eba (Stove or Microwave!)

Eba is an essential Nigerian swallow food commonly paired with soups and stews. Let me show you how to make eba with just two ingredients in under 10 minutes!

And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my dodo/fried plantain, too.

What is a swallow food?

Swallow is a starchy, pliable accompaniment to West African soup and stew dishes like egusi soup and okro soup. Traditionally, swallow foods are used to scoop up the main dish and convey it into the mouth and swallowed without chewing. There are different types of swallows, including pounded yam, amala, and today's topic: eba, also known as garri fufu.

The texture of different swallow foods varies but they are all mostly tasteless. Eba has a slightly sour taste from fermentation and the texture is not as viscous as pounded yam, for example. As a Nigerian American with a westernized palate, this is my favorite swallow.

If you like the taste of eba, check out my garri cereal recipe next!

Two Different Methods - You can make eba on the stove or in the microwave so this recipe is extremely beginner friendly and versatile.

Quick and Easy - Making eba is inexpensive, simple, and takes less than 10 minutes no matter which method you use.

I can't lie, I love starchy dishes and if you're the same, check out my homemade Agege bread, authentic jollof rice, and recipe for ewa riro, next!

Garri (also spelled gari) is a dried coarse and flaky fermented meal made from the cassava tuber plant. I have fond childhood memories of eating it like cereal with milk, sugar, and ice cubes floating around the bowl. Though it can take on sweet flavor, you will use it plain here.

Water binds the garri together into a thick kind of dough-like concoction and it is best to make eba with hot water. Use plain drinking water with no flavors or carbonation added.

White or Yellow - Depending on how it's made, garri can have a white or yellow color. Yellow garri is made with palm oil, which produces the yellow color, and has a shorter fermentation period so it tastes less sour and very slightly sweet. And white garri is made without palm oil and fermented longer producing a more sour taste. Then there's also ijebu garri, which is a kind of white garri which is fermented the longest and has the strongest flavor. You can use any variety.

Soft or Hard - Eba can be made softer/more sticky or harder/more stiff by using more or less water. Make it to your preference just note that if garri is too soft, it's not useful as a swallow.

How to Make Eba at Home

Step by Step on Stove

Step One: Bring water to a boil in a saucepan then remove from heat. (Photo 1)

Step Two: Immediately add garri to the boiled water then use a kitchen spoon to mix and turn the ingredients until smooth. (Photos 2 and 3)

Pro Tip #1: Soft eba without lumps is the goal as lumps equal pockets of dry garri and are highly undesirable. I recommend using a wooden paddle-shaped spoon to thoroughly turn the eba and press out any lumps.

Pro Tip #2/how to turn eba: to mix eba, you should turn it, which is pressing it and scooping and flipping rather than swirling and stirring.

Instructions with Microwave

Step One: Pour garri and water into a microwave-safe container and microwave on general setting for two to three minutes or until boiling. (Photo 4)

Step Two: Carefully remove container and set on a sturdy surface then use a kitchen spoon to stir and turn the ingredients until smooth and free of lumps. (Photos 5 and 6)

How to Roll Eba

Eba is typically served in a roll or ball alongside on within a dish of stew, making it easy to pinch bits off as you eat. Here's a quick primer on how to make an eba roll.

Step One: Scoop a serving size of eba into the middle of a sheet of plastic wrap. (Photo 7)

Step Two: Bring the ends of the plastic wrap together and twist, cupping the bottom of the ball in the palm of your hand to start molding it. (Photo 8)

Step Three: Firmly grip the twisted end of the plastic wrap with one hand and use the other hand to shape and roll the eba into a ball until you're satisfied with the shape. (Photos 9 and 10)

Pro Tip #3: Perform step two carefully because the eba will be hot. As a seasoned home cook, I've burned my hands enough times that they've toughened and are less sensitive to heat but that takes time!

Pro Tip #4: You can form your eba into whatever shape you like so don't feel limited. I mean, heart-shaped swallow for Valentine's dinner sounds romantic to me--what about you?

Eba pictured with my efo elegusi and zobo drink for a proper meal