By Dede Miracle Egwolome
Nigeria is one of the most populated in Africa, it has different ethnic groups ; yoruba, hausa, igbo, ijaw, uhrobo, esian, udoma, etc
But today I’m talking about the most popular and most eaten food in delta state most especially the uhrobo.
Banga soup is one of the nourishing soups in Niger delta you can make with palm nut. Banga soup can be prepared using fresh catfish or dried smoked fish.
In this recipe, I opted fresh catfish but you can use smoked fish or other fresh fish if that’s your choice. Either way is very delicious with or without fresh catfish. You can even go a little further by adding okro.
Ingredients
1. Palm nut
2. Onions
3. Salt
4. Pepper
5. Seasoning cubes
6. Fresh catfish
7. Obeletete leaves
8. Uhrire in uhrobo (grains of selim)
9. Bitter leaves ( washed)
10. Shine shine ( utariko in uhrobo)
10. Mortal
11. Sieve
12. Water
Procedures
1. Wash the palm fruits very well and put it in a pot, add water to cover the palm fruits in the pot.
2. Cook till the palm fruits are well done.
A good sign that the palm fruits are well done is that you can easily rub off the flesh from the nuts and is also soft to bite.
3. While they are still hot, pound the palm fruits in a mortar with a pestle till all the flesh are separated from the nuts. Pounding when the fruits are still hot makes it easier for the flesh to separate from the nuts.
4. After you have already pound the palm nuts, you place a sieve on a bowl to extract the oil or juice from the palm nuts by adding water to wash it.
5. Repeat the process till all palm fruits that has been pounded are being washed.
6. Put the oil / juice that is being extracted aside.
7. Wash the fresh catfish with hot water to remove the dirt from it body.
8. Pour the oil/juice into a clear pot and allow it to boil.
9. Then add your seasonings ( salt, onions, cubes, pepper) .
10. Pound the uhrire, utariko very well and add to the boiling soup.
11. Allow it to boil for at least 5mins before putting your washed bitter leaves and obeletete.
12. Then add your washed catfish.
13. After 5 to 10 Mins remove it from the gas.
Food is ready, it can be serve with starch or yellow eba to go well.
Banga soup is also known as amiedi inb uhrobo, it is mostly eaten by the uhrobo people. Banga soup is very good for the body. It makes you strong.
