Banga Soup is a soup made from the extract of palm nuts, it is a soup accredited to the Urhobo people of Delta State, Nigeria fondly consumed with Starch. This soup is called Ofe Akwu in Igbo and Abang Atama in Efik.
This soup varies tribe from tribe, some tribe like it without vegetables while some like it with a mix of vegetables. Some see the Banga Soup as another version of pepper soup hence make it light while others see it as a different soup entirely hence making it thick; one thing I like about this soup is the inclusion of assorted meats and fish and the smell of the different spices, how I love to drink this soup, I enjoy scooping it with my table spoon and it is so tasty.
To make this soup, I prefer the fresh palm nuts to the canned palm nuts extract, so let's go!
Notes
. You do not need any cooking oil for making this soup, the palm nuts contains enough oil
. It takes time to get this soup thick so be patient
. It requires more pepper if you use vegetables
. Ingredients can be adjusted to suit your health and taste
Ingredients for four servings
. Fresh palm nuts/ Canned palm nuts extract - I derica size ( I prefer the fresh palm nuts)
. Utazi leaves and Ugu leaves ( six fingers each)
. Grinded Cameroon pepper / Grinded yellow pepper- 1/4 cup ( I prefer Cameroon pepper)
. Blended crayfish- 1 cup
. Assorted meat
. Dried fish/ fresh fish of your choice ( I will be using fresh fish)
. Beef/ Chicken ( I prefer the Beef for thickness. In fact, I always feel chicken is not good for our native soups. Am I alone?)
. Snails, stock fish, fresh Shrimps ( optional)
. Banga spice
. Banga stick/ mashed boiled cocoyam as a thickener( I prefer the mashed cocoyam)
. Flavour cubes
. Salt to taste
.A bulb of Onion
. Wash the fresh palm nuts thoroughly to remove nuts and boil for 20 minutes until it is soft; ensure the water level covers the palm nuts
. Transfer the soft nuts into a mortar and pound until the skin goes off, add hot water to the peels to extract the juice into a pot using a tight sieve( The pounding must be done when the palm nuts is hot)
. leave the palm nuts boiling under a low heat
. Wash the fresh fish, assorted meat and or beef, stock fish, Shrimps and snails respectively ( the snail should be washed with salt because of it's slimy nature.
. Boil your snail and assorted meats first with the chopped onion, flavour cubes and salt, when the meat is tender add the washed stock fish and fresh fish, add the grinded Cameroon pepper to it and leave it to boil for 5 minutes then switch off the heat
Add the stock water to the already boiling palm nuts extract, increase the heat, leave the pot open till the end of the cooking, allow to boil for 10- 12 minutes ( This is the time to put the Banga stick if you are using it)
. Add the Banga spice, blended crayfish, salts, flavour cube, the mashed cocoyam for thickening; if too thick you can add warm water moreso the Banga spice should be added intermittently to avoid ruining the soup
. After (10) minutes, add the boiled beef, fish, snail, stock fish and add the shrimps.
( At this time the oil would have settled on top, you can scoop it carefully with the edge of the spoon if you find it too oily
. Wash and slice the Utazi leaves and the Ugu leaves, add the Utazi leaves first after 3 minutes add the Ugu leaves, stir and combine together
( The Utazi leaf is bitter, too much of it might make the soup inedible, so be careful)
. Allow the soup to boil for 5 minutes, switch off the heat but leave it on the burner.
. Remove the Banga stick if you used it and soup is ready!!!
Banga soup can be enjoyed with any swallow really, but most people prefer Fufu or Starch but I prefer to eat it with white rice. The combination is divine. Ngwa, forward march to the kitchen. Have fun trying this!
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