Quantity: 4KG
Pricing: #10,000 – #12,000
Packaging: Reusable Package
Nigerian Banga Soup or Ofè Akwú is native to the Niger Delta (Urhobo People) and the South Eastern parts of Nigeria. In the Niger Delta areas, Banga soup is commonly eaten with various fufu recipes: Starch, Pounded Yam, Semolina, Garri and Cassava Fufu. In the South Eastern parts of Nigeria, Banga Soup is referred to as Ofe Akwu where Ofè means Soup / Stew and Akwú means palm fruit and is used mainly as stew for white rice.
The palm fruit oil extract used in cooking Banga Soup / Stew is quite different from the red palm oil used in cooking Nigerian food recipes. Palm Oil is pure oil extracted from the palm fruit pulp at high temperatures while the palm fruit oil extract used for the Banga Soup is extracted at a very low temperature and is a mixture of oil and water. Palm fruit oil extracted for Banga Soup contains less saturated fat than palm oils.
Ofè Akwú is actually very easy to prepare, as long as you get the basic requirements right. To achieve a very tasty result, your meats must be very well seasoned as the stock will be incorporated into the soup. Ogiri Okpei or Dawadawa, where Okpei is not available, is also very important as this enhances the taste of the Soup, well, once you can get past it’s lovely smell….?
Ofè Akwú can be prepared with either Fresh fish on it’s own or with meats. I prefer to use just meats but for the sake of this recipe, I’ll add fresh fish, just so I can explain how and when fish is added and also illustrate how I keep fish from breaking in the soup, especially when you’re working with boney meats.
If you can’t source Ugu leaves, you can use Spinach or Kale. It’s pretty hard to source fresh Scent Leaves in these parts so I always use dried Efinrin/Nchawu. This, you can pretty much find in most African stores, Asian stores around here stock them as well or you can go for fresh Basil leaves. In place of Ogiri Okpei, you can use Dawadawa and if you cant’t find Dawadawa, you can go for Iru (locust beans) though I should mention, Iru is close but won’t give you the same taste as Ogiri OKpei.
For an explanation on how to extract palm nut juice from Palm Kernels, please check my Delta Banga recipe HERE.
Let’s start…
INGREDIENTS
- 600gms Assorted Meats
- 1 Medium Size Fresh Fish
- 100gms Piece Stock Fish
- Smoked Fish (Optional)
- 400gms Palm but extract (Banga Juice)
- 1/4 Cup Washed/Dry Scent Leaves/Basil/ Effinrin
- 1/2 Cup Washed Ugu Leaves
- 2 Tablespoons Ground Crayfish
- 2 Knorr Chicken Cubes
- Chicken/Beef Seasoning of your choice
- Small Chunk Ogiri Okpei/ Dawadawa
- 3-4 Yellow or Red Scotch Bonnet (Ata-Rodo)
- Salt to Taste
PREPARATION
Boil your meats on medium to high heat first, starting with tougher meats like Cow leg, Shaki, tough Ponmo. Season with 1 tablespoon ground crayfish, Knorr chicken cubes, your chosen seasoning and salt, then add softer meats like beef, goat meat, chicken. When all the meats are tender, add the stock fish and boil all till soft.
- Blend/ grind your Scotch Bonnet and Ogiri/Dawadawa with water, you can also add Crayfish to the blend….
- Pour the blend into the boiled meats, stir and combine, leave to cook for 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to low, place a bigger pot on the hob, add the palm nut extract, then add the stock from the meats. If you haven’t got enough stock, add water, you’ll need the consistency to be quite fluid; a semi thickish consistency. Taste for salt/seasoning, add more if required….
NOTE: I didn’t need much seasoning as my stock was very well seasoned…
Try not to add too much Crayfish so it doesn’t mask the authentic Ofe Akwu taste.
- Leave to combine for 5 minutes, then add the fresh fish. Leave to cook for 5-6 minutes
- Take the fish out to prevent it from breaking in the soup. Now, add the cooked meats and crayfish, stir and combine, cook for 5 minutes…
- Add the Scent leaves/Efinrin/Basil leaves, then the cooked fresh fish, leave for 2 minutes…
- Add the Ugu leaves, stir and combine or just rock the pot back and forth a few times to combine so the fish remain intact. Switch the heat off….
- Leave to simmer with the residual heat for 2-3 minutes, the oil will settle on the top at this time, and that’s it…See how gorgeous it looks? Trust me, the taste is just as gorgeous….
- Serve your Ofe Akwu with boiled rice or any swallow of your choice…
If you’re interested, I’ve got a recipe for Delta version Banga soup, click HERE for the recipe.
Another tasty Igbo soup recipe on this blog is Ofe Nsala – White Soup, follow facebook our page to receive update for our next post on white soup recipe.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog for notifications of new recipes. See you in the next recipe.
GLICE & GREEN KITCHEN 