Check out how to make Banga soup (Ofe Akwu), as it’s known in Nigeria’s South-East. Ofe Akwu, or Banga Soup, this soup is equally known as ‘Palm Fruit Soup’. This soup is also consumed by locals in the Niger Delta region. Here is how to prepare Banga soup (Ofe Akwu) and make it thick. Let’s get started.
Recipe to Make Banga Soup Thick
To learn How to make Banga soup thick follow these steps
Step 1: Prepare the ingredients for your Banga soup before you begin cooking. If you use palm fruits, extract the concentrated palm oil from them. If you’re using concentrated canned palm fruit oil, open the tin and set it aside.
Step 2: Place the rinsed beef in a saucepan with the dry fish, seasoning cubes, one sliced onion bulb, and some water. Cook till it is done.
Step 3: Wash and trim your fragrant leaves, or use dried and crushed bitter plants if you like. You can, however, prepare your Banga soup without any vegetables.
Step 4: Grind the crayfish, locust beans, and pepper. Dice the remaining onion bulb and keep it aside.
Step 5: Place the saucepan of palm oil extract over high heat and cook until red oil rises to the surface of the Banga. Cook until the soup reaches the desired thickness.
Step 6: Add the cooked meat, dried fish, and stock to the soup. Also, add the ground crayfish and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 7: Add the scent leaves or dried and crushed bitter plants to the soup. At this stage, add the salt and let it simmer for about 2 minutes.
Step 8: The Banga soup is ready to consume. However, if you are using tinned concentrated palm fruit, simply add it to your cooked fish and beef along with the stock and proceed with the following procedures to prepare your Banga soup.
Ingredients to Make Banga Soup
1. Beef
2. 1 kg of palm fruits or 800 g of canned palm fruit concentrate
3. Dried crushed bitter or scented leaves
4. Two medium onion bulbs.
5. Dry fish
6. Two teaspoons of ground crayfish.
7. Locust beans
8. Chilli pepper seasoning cube.
9. Salt
Is Ofe Akwu the same as Banga Soup?
Akwu and Banga are both Igbo and Urhobo words for palm fruit. Based on the literal meaning, one would naturally assume that they are the same soup, yet they are not. Each has a distinct flavour because of the many spices utilised. For example, several unique herbs and components, such as Beletientien and Irugege, are used to prepare Banga soup but not in Ofe Akwu. You may learn more about the differences between the two soups farther up in this post.