Banga soup recipe is native stew popularly called Ofe Akwu in Igbo and is used in eaten boiled white rice, while the Urhobo enjoys their Banga soup with Starch or fufu.
Palm-nut soup Ofe Akwu is a delicious dish in the Eastern part of Nigeria, likewise in the Niger Delta region. Banga soup is absolutely similar to Ofe Akwu they are both made from palm nuts with a slight difference in vegetables and spices used in preparing the soup.
Banga stew with rice is basically the Igbo style of Ofe Akwu which can be cook with chicken, beef, turkey, or fish as a pack of protein to make it a healthy diet and a good food
The spices/herbs used in preparing Banga soup has different flavor and taste from that used in cooking Ofe Akwu, in the same vein, the veggies for Ofe Akwu is Ugu (fluted pumpkin) or Nchanwu (scent leave), and dried Beletientien leaves or dry bitter leaves and periwinkles for Delta Banga soup.
Homemade Banga soup can be cooked either with fresh palm nuts or already extracted canned palm nut, they are both good, so, whichever comes handy go ahead and make that tasty mouth watery dish.
Different ways of cooking Banga soup Recipe
There are different ways of cooking native Banga soup recipe according to each tribe represented they are as follows
- How to make Calabar Banga soup
- How to cook Itsekiri Banga soup
- Banga soup with Egusi
- Starch soup
- Okra Banga soup
- Ofe Akwu Igbo Style
How to Extract Banga/Miri Akwu
To make a juice palm nut extract called Banga, pick and remove dirt from already bought palm nuts, wash and boil for 20-25 minutes on a stovetop until the nuts become soft.
At this point, remove from heat; sieve out the water, and transfer into a mortar and pound with a pestle until the skin breaks off the kennels and the color changes.
Pour some hot water into the mortar stir with the pestle for 2 minutes; add cold water and mix properly by washing it, thereafter, strain using sieve to extract the palm liquid like oil.
It is called Miri Akwu in Igbo or freshly squeezed Banga juice extract.
How to Cook Ofe Akwu Recipe
Ingredients for Banga soup
- Palm nuts (canned or freshly squeezed juice)
- 1 medium-size Dry Fish
- Beef/ chicken
- 1 medium-size Onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons Crayfish
- ½ cup of scent leave or Ugu leaf (sliced)
- 4 pieces scotch bonnet pepper (Atarodo)
- 2 seasoning cubes
- Ogiri Okpei (Iru) optional
- Salt to taste
Method of preparing Banga Soup/ Ofe Akwu
- First of all, in this recipe, we are using freshly squeezed Banga extract.
- Secondly, wash and spice the beef then parboil for 10 minutes with little or no water, after that, transfer into the pot of Banga juice extract and cook to tender.
- Thirdly, when the consistency starts thickening, at this point, add other ingredients, like your crayfish, onions, ogiri okpei, pepper, dry fish, cubes, salt to taste.
- Finally, the vegetable is the last ingredient that goes into the pot, stir in the choice vegetable and remove from heat, this enables it to retain its freshness not being overcooked.
- In conclusion, wash and boil your white rice ready to combine with Ofe Akwu.
Serve and enjoy!
