Banga soup is a Nigerian meal which originated from the Southern and Eastern parts of the country. In the South, it is basically eaten with fufu or garri. In the East, it is known as ofe akwu and it is a complement to white rice or yam.
The meal is incredibly rich in
nutritional value. Basically, the major ingredient is the palm fruits. Palm fruits actually contain a high dose of vitamin E and it is also rich in potassium.
Studies have also shown that palm nuts protect against heart diseases and cardiac arrests.
Palm nuts are rich in fats but the fat is considered heart friendly. It is cholesterol-free and gives the skin a fresher look. The extract of the palm fruits serves as the palm oil for Banga soup. It is different from the normal red/palm oil. This nut oil extract contains low saturated fat than that of palm oil.
Ingredients
•1kg of palm fruits
•400g of assorted meat, cooked
•400g of dried fish, washed and deboned
•200g of fresh fish
•Stockfish (optional)
•2 tablespoonfuls of crayfish, ground
•1 tablespoonful of ground Banga Spice (Etaiko, Iroghoje)
•Banga spice leaves (Obeletientien/ scent leaves
•1 small onion bulb, finely chopped
•Seasoning
•Chili pepper
•Salt to taste
Preparation
•Boil the nuts for 30 minutes until soft and tender. Drain the water and pound the nuts in a mortar to extract the oil. Be careful so the nuts don’t break.
Add hot water and strain the extract through a sieve. Put in a pot and boil until it thickens and the oil rises to the top.
•Add the meat stock and allow to boil for 10 minutes.
•Add the chopped onions, assorted meat and dried fish.
Add the pepper, ground crayfish, ground Banga spices and seasoning. Leave to cook for about five minutes.
•Add the fresh fish and cook for another three minutes.
Finally, add the Obeletientien leaves or scent leaves and leave to simmer for one minute.
Serve in a hot clay plate with fufu, eba or amala.
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