BANGA SOUP

The first thing I want to do when I receive really good news is eat. Maybe I unconsciously feel that since my spirit is happy, then I better get my body in the same mood. I don't know y o but I sha think of food. And when I think of food, I think of cooking too because there is this joy that comes with eating what I prepared myself.

So on Monday, I went to pick up a certificate I had applied for. I was actually supposed to have picked it up about two week before but I did not go because I was afraid I would be denied.

When I received the certificate, my first thought was food. However, I was not so familiar with the environ so I decided to get something to eat when I got to my neighborhood. However, on getting to Oshodi, the food spirit in me led me straight to the market and you know what happens when I go to a food market, right? I start to think of different kinds of meals to prepare. Am not usually an impulse buyer, but omo when it comes to food market and cooking, the spirit is weak. I would have spent way out of my budget before coming to realisation.

Anyway, the meal that popped into my cooking mind was Banga Soup and I set about buying the necessary ingredients to prepare it.

Banga Soup is made from the extract obtained from palm fruit.

INGREDIENTS

Palm fruit/Banga
Fresh Fish ( I used Catfish)
Ata rodo/scotch bonnet
Periwinkle/Imekpe
Banga spices. (This usually includes: blended iruguje, ataiko)
Banga stick/oburunbebe
Blended crayfish
Smoked fish
Dry shrimp
Okro
Bitter leaf
Seasoning cubes
Salt to taste


Method

1. Extract the liquid/oil content of the palm fruit. This can be done by boiling the fruits till they become soft then pounding in a mortar to extract the liquid. Me no get mortar power so I use paint bucket. You would need to add hot water to the pounded fruit so that the juice can be easily obtained when you are squeezing the skin. Pour it through a filter to collect the liquid. Repeat this process until you get all the oil out. My mum doesn't even pound the fruits at all. She uses her hands to mash it until all the oil is out. Omo no b small tin o. But I no get that kin power at all. Besides my palm don strong reach self. I no need extra labour for am so I jejely pound until it becomes unnecessary.

2. Add your smoked fish, dry shrimp and allow to boil for a while.

3. Add the ata rodo to the mix and continue boiling. I usually boil until the smoked fish becomes a bit soften because I want to want the banga flavour to diffuse well into the fish.

4. Add the banga spices and stick. I bought already grounded mix but you could buy the spices and ground your self. You need not ground the stick o, just add it into the soup.

5. Cook until the soup is fairly reduced and thickened to coat the back of a spoon.

6. Add seasoning cubes,blended crayfish and salt. Abeg no go over salt o expecially if you wan use clay pot steam am later. The taste go dey too sharp.

7. Add the fresh fish and periwinkles, reduce the heat and cook until the soup thickens.

8. At this point, add your sliced okro. Not grated. Sliced/chopped one. We dont want the soup to draw na.

9. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes then add your washed bitter leaves. Not too much. about a hand full or two depending on your preference. The bitter leaves should be washed and squeezed to the extent that some of its bitter taste has been reduced.

10. Your soup is ready to be served when oil floats to the surface.

The best place to serve this soup is in a clay native pot. There is this extra flavour that comes with steaming the soup in it. So that's what I did. I put some into the clay pot and steamed until it started bubbling.

This is a meal on its own with great nutritional benefits.

It can also be served with starch or eba.

I didn't have starch handy so I settled for eba. I must chop usi with this soup before e finish sha.

What do you guys think about the recepi? What would you eat it with?

Please feel free to ask questions. This is my first post on how to prepare a meal and I might have confused you at some point. 

XOXO