Ingredients
Gari
- 300 ggari
- 300 mlwarm water
Sauce
- 2onions, sliced
- 3tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 100 mlpalm or vegetable oil
- 1scotch bonnet, minced
- 1stock cube
- salt
Also
- 4eggs, beaten
To serve
- fried plantain
- avocado
- grilled fish
Directions
- Sprinkle the warm water over the gari a little at a time, raking it through with your fingers as you go.
- Add the water gradually and stop when every granule is damp and swollen but the whole thing is still loose and separate. Gari drowned in water turns to a solid paste and cannot be recovered.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes to absorb evenly, then rake it through again to break up any clumps that have formed.
- Fry the onion in the oil for 8 minutes, then add the tomato paste and fry it for 2 minutes until it darkens.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, minced chilli and stock cube and cook down for 10 minutes into a thick sauce.
- Push the sauce to one side of the pan, pour the beaten eggs into the space, and scramble them, then mix everything together.
- Add the moistened gari and fold it through gently over a low heat, until every grain is coated and orange.
- Fold rather than stir hard, and keep the heat low. Gari is already cooked and only needs warming through; worked hard over high heat it turns gluey.
- Season and serve at once with fried plantain, avocado or grilled fish.
Technique
- Gari is toasted fermented cassava granules, bought ready-made, and the whole dish is a quick way of turning it into a meal.
- It was born of the gari trade and is shared between Benin and Togo.
- It should be loose enough to fall off a fork in grains rather than clumping.
Substitutions
- Couscous, which behaves similarly though it tastes quite different.
- Vegetable oil if palm oil is unavailable, at the cost of the colour.
Variations
- With smoked fish flaked through.
- Without egg, which makes it plainer and cheaper.
- With more palm oil for a richer, redder plate.
History
Toasted cassava granules stir-fried with egg, tomato and onion, a quick Beninese and Togolese dish born of the gari trade.
Frequently asked questions
What is Gari foto?
Gari foto is a main from Benin: moistened gari tossed with tomato, onion and scrambled egg. Toasted cassava granules stir-fried with egg, tomato and onion, a quick Beninese and Togolese dish born of the gari trade.
How long does Gari foto take to make?
Gari foto takes 15 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Gari foto?
Yes, within limits. Couscous, which behaves similarly though it tastes quite different. Vegetable oil if palm oil is unavailable, at the cost of the colour.
What is the most important thing to get right in Gari foto?
Add the water gradually and stop when every granule is damp and swollen but the whole thing is still loose and separate. Gari drowned in water turns to a solid paste and cannot be recovered.
