Banga soup combines a blend of palm sauce, spices and other natural ingredients to make a delicious soup that is served with white boiled rice. It is called ofe akwu in Igboland; It is very popular among the Igbos. Learn more about rice and banga soup in the next section

Rice and Banga Soup

This is a bowl of wonderful rice served with banga soup (ofe akwu) with a sprinkle of peas. (I cooked the peas for three minutes over low heat The Banga soup (ofe akwu) is simple to prepare and popular in the eastern part of Nigeria; practically every ingredient used in this stew may be grown from the farm you can pair this meal with white rice or any food of yourchoice.

How to Prepare Banga Soup

Step 1: To prepare dried fish, soak it in hot water and carefully wash it to remove sand and dirt. Blend the crayfish or add dry pepper if cooking banga stew.

Step 2: Chop the onion and fragrance leaves and place aside on a plate. I like to include onions in most of my recipes because of their health advantages.

Step 3: Cook the palm fruits (banga fruits) for 30 to 50 minutes, then pound them using a mortar and pestle.

Step 4: Pour water into a bowl, add the pounded palm fruit, and squeeze out the thick paste.

Palm fruit juice is a main component of Banga stew. I can also use it to make other Nigerian soups. Pour the heavy juice into a basin and set aside.

Step 5: Wash the meat and mackerel (fish) with water and parboil in a separate pot until soft. Season with 2 stock cubes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup chopped onions.

Remove the fish after 10 minutes. It is feasible to prepare a nice dish using bland meat; this is why I precook the fish/meat separately before adding it to the main pot.

Step 6: Add the strained palm fruit juice to the meat that is already on fire. Add the (washed, dried fish and blended crayfish) to the cooking saucepan and leave to simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

Step 7: If it isn’t quite as flavorful as you like, add some spices. (Sachet of “onga soup” and/or seasoning cube). Stir in the fragrance leaves (chopped), sliced onions, and salt and pepper to taste.

Add the pre-cooked mackerel fish. I’ve added the fish now since I want to serve it whole. If you add the fish to the banga stew too early, it will break before the stew is ready.

Step 8: Cover and heat for another minute, then add the chopped veggies (Ugu) (optional), allow to simmer for another 3 minutes, and you will have produced a delicious Nigerian banga stew (ofe akwu).

Ingredients to cook Banga soup with Goat Meat

• Fresh Palm kernel
• Goat meat
• Banga spice
• leaves Dry bitter
• cubes Seasoning
• to taste Salt
• Crayfish
• Stockfish
• Dryfish
• Onions

Tips to Get the Best Result when Cooking Banga and Rice

1. Wash the palm nuts, place them in a pot with water, and cook until done. Once cooked, place in a mortar and pound.

2. Add water and wash to remove grease. Use a basket to drain the oily water and remove the chaff. Put in a pot and bring to a boil.

3. Boil the oil until it thickens; use a spoon to scrape the excess oil off the top (if needed).

4. In a pot, cook the brisket bone and beef with seasoning cubes and salt. When it’s soft, add the thick palm nut oil (banga), and fresh pepper, cover, and bring to a boil.

5. Stir in the rinsed scent leaves and crayfish, taste for salt, and add more if needed. Cover and let to steam for a few minutes.

6. The Banga soup is ready!!! You can eat it with white rice or swallow it. Enjoy!