Eba and Egusi Soup

Eba and egusi na the combination wey dey feed the most people for the least money for southern Nigeria — the everyday swallow-and-soup wey dey keep house full through the month. Eba na just garri (cassava flakes) wey you stir inside hot water until e form smooth, stretchy mound; e dey take minutes, no need cooking skill, and e cheap like starch fit be. The egusi soup beside am dey carry all the flavour and most of the cost.

The eba itself na all about texture and ratio. Add the garri small-small to just-boiled water and turn am well with wooden turner until e smooth and soft but no sticky — too much water go give soft, weak eba, too small go give hard one. Ijebu garri dey give small sour, prized eba; yellow garri (wey dem fry with palm oil) dey give colour and fuller taste. Dem dey serve am for small hand-rolled ball, wey you dip inside the soup instead of to chew.

On value this combination no get match: the eba na few naira per serving, so you fit put your money inside good pot of egusi and let am stretch across several meal. E dey fill you in a way wey rice rarely dey, e dey cook for the time wey e take to reheat the soup, and na the reason why modest kitchen budget still dey end for satisfying plate. Cheap, fast, and dem genuinely love am.