Welcome to this month's post. This month's featured menu is banga soup. Banga soup is one of the most popular soups in the south of Nigeria. It is mostly enjoyed by people of the Delta region. Owho is especially viewed by the Urhobos of the Delta region as a traditional soup, hence, it is cooked for the bridegroom during a traditonal Urhobo marriage ceremony. The bridegroom with his family and friends would feast on the owho soup served with Usi, boiled yam and plantain during the welcoming ceremony for the bride later in the evening. Now, read, cook and enjoy yourself....WADO....O
BANGA (PALM FRUIT) SOUP
Recipe:
Ripe Banga
Umeno (banga stick) Ataiko
Iregeje
Ground fresh or dry pepper
Ground egusi
Chopped okra
Fresh fish
Dry fish
Periwinkle
Crayfish
Bitter leaves flakes
Obeletete leaves flakes
Salt
Seasoning
Method:
1. Wash and put the banga on the fire. Boil till properly cooked.
2. Drain and mash to extract the juice.
3. Using a conical strainer, squeeze the chaff to extract the juice adding little amount of water along the way. Do not add too much water to avoid your soup becoming too light.
4. Put the soup on the fire, add the ground pepper and throw in the umeno.
5. Bring to the boil
6. Meanwhile grind the remaining spices
7. Add the ground spices and continue boiling.
8. Add the crayfish.
9. Add the dry fish and periwinkle
10. Add the fresh fish, reduce the heat and allow to simmer.
11. Add the ground egusi and chopped okra to thicken the soup.
12. Season.
13. Add the salt.
14. Allow the fish to cook without breaking up.
15. Add the Obeletete and bitter leaves flakes.
16. To serve, place an evwere (small earthen pot) on fire. Allow to heat and dish the soup into it. Allow to boil and be thickened.
17. Remove from heat and serve in the evwere. Serve with Usi (cooked cassava starch), eba, fufu, pounded yam or Semovita.
OWHO (PALM OIL SOUP)
Recipe:
Palm Oil (Native palm oil)
Dry fish or Fresh fish
Crayfish
Prawns
Ground fresh or dry pepper
Ground fresh tomatoes (optional)
Bitter leaves
Lime leaves
Ikawun
Uweru
Starch
Water
Salt
Seasoning
Method:
1. Combine the pepper, tomatoes with water and put on fire. Bring to the boil.
2. Add the crayfish, prawns and fish.
3. Chop bitter leaves and lime leaves and add.
4. Add seasoning and salt.
5. Add the oil.
6. Dilute the starch with water and stir into the soup to thicken. Stir well to avoid the soup having lump.
7. Crush the ikawun and uweru, add to the soup and continue stirring to prevent the soup boiling over.
8. Remove from heat and serve with usi, boiled yam, plantain or cocoyam.
Hope you'll enjoy eating banga and owho soups. Please do not forget to leave a comment. Remember to request for any ingredient you cannot easily lay your hands on here for a quote and method of payment.
