Direction
Garri is a fine to coarse granular flour of varying texture made from cassava tubers (the root of the cassava plant), which are cleaned after harvesting and grated. The water and starch are squeezed out and it is left to ferment. It is then fried and eaten in various ways. One way is to drink it; simply add water to the grains, stir, and there you have it. People often add sugar, groundnut oil or milk to it, making it a balanced meal or snack. Another way is to make it into a dough and cook it in hot water and eat it with a wide variety of sauces. It is also called gari or gali in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
How to Make Drinking Garri:
- Pour the garri into a small bowl or plate.
- Add water. Note: Make sure to use far more water than garri, so that any dirt in with the garri will pour out with it. This first wash is very important, as you to have a clean garri before drinking it.
- Pour the water out of the garri, removing the dirt.
- Then add a small amount of water to the garri and stir. Note: You can use cold water for this step. How much you use depends on the consistency you are looking for. But it is important not to make the garri too thick and heavy to drink.
- Finally add your ingredients of choice and stir to combine well. Enjoy your garri.
What to Serve with Drinking Garri:
- Porridge beans
- Roasted groundnuts
- Fried ripe plantains
- Moi moi
- Akara
- Dried/smoked/fried fish
- Dried/smoked/fried meat
- Biscuits
- Banana
- Coconut
- Suya
- Kuli kuli
- Cashew nuts
- Tiger nuts
- Scotch bonnet (pepper)
Things to Note:
- You can prepare garri plain or with sugar or salt, or both together.
- Honey can also be used to sweeten the garri.
- Ijebu garri is the best garri for drinking.
- Drinking garri has lots of benefits; it gives energy and strength to the body.
- Drinking garri helps to cool the body during hot weather.
