Gari and beans facts for kids

A picture of Gari and beans served with ripped plantain.

Gari and beans is a very popular and tasty meal from Ghana, a country in West Africa. It's made from two main ingredients: gari (a type of flour from cassava) and beans. People in southern Ghana love this meal and call it by many names like "bober," "borbor," "gobe," "yo ke gari," or "red red." It's a filling and healthy dish that many families enjoy.

What You Need: Ingredients for Gari and Beans

To make this delicious Ghanaian dish, you'll need a few simple items. These ingredients are easy to find and combine to create a hearty meal.

• Beans (often black-eyed peas)
• Ripe plantain (especially for the "red red" version)
• Palm oil (this gives it a special flavor and color)
• Onion
• Tomato
• Gari (the main ingredient, made from cassava)
• Chilli (for a little spice, if you like)
• Avocado
• Boiled egg

How to Make Gari and Beans: Simple Steps

Making gari and beans is quite straightforward. Here are the basic steps to prepare this traditional Ghanaian meal.

Preparing the Beans

First, you need to get the beans ready.

• Soak the beans in water overnight. This helps them cook faster.
• The next day, boil the soaked beans until they become very soft. This might take a while, so be patient!

Cooking the Sauce

Next, you'll make a flavorful sauce to go with the beans.

• Heat some palm oil in a saucepan.
• Add chopped onions to the hot oil. Cook them until they smell nice and are soft. This adds a lot of flavor to the dish.
• You can also add chopped tomatoes and chilli to the oil if you want a richer sauce.

Mixing and Serving

Now it's time to put everything together and enjoy your meal!

• Take a spoonful of gari and mix it evenly with a little water to soften it.
• Add the warm palm oil sauce to the gari and mix it all together.
• Serve the gari and sauce mixture with the soft, boiled beans.
• For extra taste, you can add fried plantain, a boiled egg, or sliced avocado on top.
• Some people also like to add other vegetables for more nutrients.

Why Gari and Beans is Good for You: Nutritional Benefits

Gari and beans is not just tasty; it's also very good for your body! It provides important nutrients that help you stay healthy and energetic.

Energy from Gari

• Gari is full of starch, which is a type of carbohydrate.
• Carbohydrates are like fuel for your body, giving you lots of energy to play, learn, and grow.

Protein and Iron from Beans

• Beans are packed with protein. Protein helps build and repair your muscles and other body parts.
• They also have a good amount of iron. Iron is important for your blood and helps carry oxygen around your body.

A Complete Meal

• When you eat gari and beans together, they form a "complete protein." This means they give your body all the essential building blocks it needs.
• This meal provides many important minerals that help your body work properly every day.