Making Banga soup the easy way!

     As a true Urhobo girl from Delta State, I grew up eating banga soup and starch on a regular basis. My hubby, although  a Cross Riverian, loves Banga soup too. However, I don't have that time to boil the banga fruit and squeeze it like my mom did when I was younger. Some people also complain that Banga has too much oil.  I will show you how I make this delicious dish in an easy and HEALTHY way.

Cooking time: about 6-8 hours (start preparing this a day before you intend to eat it! )

Ingredients needed

1. 1 tin of palm nut concentrate 
2. 1-2 smoothly blended onions 
3. 1 - 2 tsps of already packaged banga spices (who has the time to buy the original herbs and blend them? ) 
4. 1 tsp of blended 'Beletete' (you will find this in the market or any supermarket that carries Nigerian foodstuff)
5. Salt 
6. Maggi 
7. Dry Pepper 
8. 1/2 handful of washed bitterleaf (optional) 
9.  Meat (the quantity you desire) 
10.  Dried fish OR Fresh fish (this is the better of the two) 
11.  Blended Crayfish (optional if you already added fish) 

Instructions

1. Empty the contents of the palmnut concentrate into a pot. Add about 1 litre of water and bring to boil. Let it boil for an additional 15 minutes 
2. Allow to cool and freeze it for about 4 -6 hours. Don't let it get rock hard, just firm enough so you can scoop the oil from the top. 
3. When it is firm enough, you will notice that the soup has separated into the oil on top AND the actual Banga fruit at the bottom. Scoop off the excess oil from the top, leaving a little though [if you take off everything, your soup might be too dry]. 
4. Put your pot back on the stove. Add a little more water if the soup is too thick. Bring it to boil. 
5. Add  meat, fish, onions and crayfish.
6. Cover your pot and allow to cook for about 15 minutes. 
7. Add banga spices and 'beletete'. 
8. Add salt and maggi 
9. Add bitterleaf. [This heightens the taste of the Banga].
10. If you used fresh fish, take it now and put aside. You can add it back when the soup is cooked.
11. Allow the soup to boil till you obtain the consistency you desire [some people like their Banga soup thick while others like it light] 

 Voila! A healthy and enjoyable dish!

Eat with eba, pounded yam or best of all STARCH! Bon Appétit!
    

Fomsky