Garri & Groundnut (Soaked Garri)
The ₦500 survival meal. Garri soaked in cold water with sugar and groundnuts. What millions of Lagosians eat when everything else is too expensive. No cooking required.
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Garri & Groundnut (Soaked Garri)
| Ingredient | Qty | Unit price | Cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garri (white) | 200 g | ₦375/kg | ₦75 | 📊 Live |
| Groundnuts (roasted) | 50 g | ₦3,000/kg | ₦150 | Est. |
| Sugar | 2 tablespoons | ₦25/tablespoons | ₦50 | Est. |
| Cold water | 500 ml | — | ₦0 | Est. |
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If you cook this dish 3× per week for 1 people:
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📝 Cook's notes
Soaked garri with groundnut is the cheapest meal in Nigeria, full stop — a bowl of garri (cassava flakes) soaked in cold water, sweetened with sugar and softened with a little milk if you have it, and eaten with roasted groundnuts thrown in. It needs no cooking, no gas, no fire; just garri, water and whatever you can add. For millions it is breakfast, a quick lunch, or the meal that bridges a hard week.
There is barely a recipe, but there is a knack. Use good, crisp garri and cold water, and add the water gradually so the garri swells but stays a little crunchy rather than turning to paste. Sugar and evaporated or powdered milk make it a treat; a handful of roasted groundnuts adds protein, crunch and enough fat to make it genuinely filling. Some add coconut, cubed sugar, or a splash of cold soft drink — every household has its version.
On value, nothing comes close. Garri is among the cheapest staples in any Lagos market, groundnuts are cheap protein, and the whole thing costs almost nothing and takes two minutes. It carries a certain nostalgia and a certain honesty — the meal students and squeezed households reach for when money is short but hunger is not. Humble, instant, and quietly one of the most important dishes in the country.