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Gari foto
Gari with tomato and egg
Gari foto: Ewe gari stirred into a tomato, onion and scrambled egg sauce until moist and fluffy
Gari foto is Ghanaian fast home cooking at its best, most associated with the Volta Region but made in student hostels everywhere: a quick tomato and onion sauce, eggs scrambled into it, then gari folded through until it soaks up the juices and becomes moist and fluffy. It is savoury, slightly tangy and comforting, and it is eaten with fried ripe plantain or avocado on the side. Many cooks add tinned sardines or corned beef; this egg version is vegetarian. The common mistake is adding gari dry, which makes it sandy and heavy, so sprinkle it with water first. Chef's tip: take the pan off the heat before folding in the gari, so it absorbs the sauce gently without sticking.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
- 7 oz gari
- ½ cup waterfor dampening the gari
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 3 tomatoeschopped
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 scotch bonnet chillifinely chopped
- 4 eggsbeaten
- ¾ tsp salt
- 6 slices fried ripe plantain (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 7 oz gari in a bowl and sprinkle over ½ cup water, mixing with a fork so the grains are evenly damp. Leave to swell while you make the sauce.
2 minStep 2: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and fry 1 onion until soft and golden.
5 minStep 3: Add 3 tomatoes, 1 tbsp tomato purée, 1 scotch bonnet chilli and ¾ tsp salt and cook until the tomatoes break down and the oil shimmers on top.
6 minStep 4: Pour in 4 eggs and stir gently until just set into soft curds.
2 minStep 5: Take the pan off the heat. Fluff the gari with a fork and fold it into the sauce until it is evenly orange, moist and fluffy. Add a splash of water if it seems dry.
1 minStep 6: Serve warm with 6 slices fried ripe plantain or avocado.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gari foto take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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