In Nigeria, the palm tree is known as “Banga,” and it is the key ingredient for the popular delicacy known as “Banga Soup.” This soup, which is one of the many Niger Delta soups in Nigeria, is best served with either starch or eba.
Ingredients for Banga Soup
- Meat
- Ground crayfish
- Fresh prawns
- Fresh palm fruits
- A medium-sized dry or smoked fish
- Red scotch bonnet pepper
- Ataiko
- Irugege
- Oburunbebe stick
- Crushed dried beletientien leaves
- Seasoning cubes
- Shelled periwinkles
- Salt
How To Prepare Banga Soup
- To begin the cooking process, you will need to grind the spices and blend them to a powder along with the pepper. The dried fish should be washed and the center bones removed, while the prawn should be pre-cooked in a pot with water, seasoning cube, and salt. The meat should also be pre-cooked until it is easy to chew, and the water has almost dried.
- Next, boil the palm fruit for 20 minutes, pound it with a mortar and pestle, transfer it to a bowl, add water, and extract the juice. You will need about 7-10 cups of the thick palm fruit juice for the soup. Strain the extract into the cooked meat using a sieve and allow it to boil for 15 minutes with the pot half-covered.
- Then, add the cleaned dried fish, ground crayfish, ataiko, irugege, oburunbebe stick, ground pepper, and salt to taste, and allow it to cook for another 10 minutes. If it’s too thick, add a little water. Finally, add the crushed dried beletientien leaves, pre-cooked prawn, shelled periwinkles, and one cube of knorr. Stir, cover, and allow it to simmer for 3 minutes.
This recipe produces the famous and well-loved banga soup enjoyed by the Deltans in Nigeria, and it pairs perfectly with fufu, eba, or starch.
