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How to Cook Banga Soup(Ofe Akwu)

Nigerian Banga soup or Ofe Akwu is native to the Niger Delta and south Eastern parts of Nigeria.in the Niger Delta areas, Banga soup is commonly eaten with various fufu recipes: Cassava fufu, Garri, Semolina, Pounded Yam and starch. In the south Eastern parts of Nigeria, Banga soup is referred to as Ofe Akwu where Ofe means soup/stew and Akwu means palm fruit and is used mainly as stew for Boiled White Rice.

The palm fruit oil extracted 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 at high temperature while the palm fruit oil extract used for the Banga soup is extracted at very low temperature and is a mixture of oil and water. Palm fruit oil extracted for Banga contains less saturated fat than palm oils.

                Ingredients for Banga Soup

1kg palm fruits or 800g tinned palm fruit concerntrates.

Beef

Dry fish

Vegetables: scent leaves for Ofe Akwu or dried and crushed bitter leaves for Delta style Banga soup

2 medium onions

A handful crayfish or 2 tablespoons ground crayfish

Salt and chilli pepper to taste

Ogiri okpei (Iru)(locust bean)

1-2 big stock cubes

Before you cook the Nigerian Banga Soup

1. Extract the palm fruit concerntrate from the palm fruits. If using the tinned palm fruit concerntrate open the tin and set aside

2. Cook the beef and dry fish with 1 bulb of diced onion and the stock cubes till done

3.Wash and cut the scent leaves into tiny pieces. The scent leaves gives the Banga stew(Ofe Akwu) its unique aroma and taste. If you are outside Nigeria, this may be hard to find, so you can use pumpkin leaves or any other vegetable in place of scent leaves. If cooking Delta-style Banga soup for starch, you should cook this soup without vegetables or use dried and crushed bitter leaves.

4. Cut the remaining bulb of onion. Pound the crayfish, Ogiri okpei and pepper in amortar and set aside. You can also grind them with a dry mill.

                Cooking Directions

1. Set the pot of palm fruit extract on the stove and start cooking at high heat. Leave to boil till you notice red oil at the surface of the Banga stew. If you think that the Banga soup is watery, cook till the soup has thickened to the consistency you like for your stew.

2. Now, add the beef, dry fish and stock fish, the onions, crayfish and pepper and leave to boil very well.

3. Add the scent leaves or the other vegetables and salt to taste. Leave for about 2 minutes. The Banga soup is done. Serve with White Rice or use the Delta –style Banga soup to eat starch, Garri, Semolina, Amala or Pounded Yam.

Cooking Directions for those using tinned palm fruit concerntrate

1. When the beef and the fish are well done, add the palm fruit concerntrate and add water to get the consistency you desire for your stew. Leave to boil very well

2. Add the onions, crayfish, pepper and Ogiri blend and let it boil very well.

3. Add the scent leaves or other vegetables and salt to taste. Leave to simmer for about 2 minutes.

The Banga soup is done

If you used bitter leaves to prepare it, serve with Nigerian fufu meals especially starch. If you used scent leaves to prepare it, serve with boiled White Rice.