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Ebbeh (Gambian cassava and fish soup)
Ebbeh: The Gambia's spicy cassava and fish soup with palm oil and lime
Bowls of ebbeh are a favourite late-afternoon snack and supper at Gambian markets and beach stalls, sold steaming from big pots. Cassava is boiled until it breaks down and thickens the broth, then fish, red palm oil, onion and plenty of chilli go in, and the soup is finished with a sharp squeeze of lime. It is thick and starchy, hot, sour and savoury all at once, with soft chunks of cassava and flaky fish. Some cooks add crab or a little smoked fish; this version uses fresh fish with smoked fish for depth. Avoid stirring hard once the fish goes in, or it breaks into shreds. Chef's tip: cook the cassava until some of it collapses before adding the fish, because the cassava itself is the thickener; undercooked cassava gives a thin soup and is unsafe to eat.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb fresh cassavapeeled, core removed, in 3 cm chunks; or frozen cassava
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 onionsroughly chopped
- ¼ cup red palm oil
- 1 ⅓ lb firm fresh fishcatfish, mackerel or tilapia, in chunks
- 3 ½ oz smoked fishskin and bones removed, flaked
- 3 tbsp lime juiceabout 2 limes, plus wedges to serve
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 1 ¾ lb fresh cassava, 6 ¼ cups water and 1 ½ tsp salt in a large pot. Bring to the boil, then simmer partly covered until the cassava is very soft and some pieces start to fall apart.
25 minStep 2: Meanwhile, blend 2 onions, 3 garlic cloves and 2 Scotch bonnet chillies to a rough paste.
Step 3: Mash a few cassava pieces against the side of the pot to thicken the broth. Stir in the onion paste, ¼ cup red palm oil and ½ tsp ground black pepper and simmer for 8 minutes.
8 minStep 4: Add 1 ⅓ lb firm fresh fish and 3 ½ oz smoked fish and simmer gently, without stirring, until the fresh fish is opaque and flakes easily.
8 minStep 5: Stir in 3 tbsp lime juice gently, taste for salt and sourness, and serve hot in bowls with lime wedges.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ebbeh (Gambian cassava and fish soup) take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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