okro banga soup | amiedi

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Banga soup is made from palm nut extract cooked with specific banga spices and with any protein of choice. It is a common delicacy in the southern part of Nigeria (Delta State). Adding okro takes the soup to another level of deliciousness.

• Wash and cook palm nut in water if you are using the fresh ones. When done, extract the sauce by either pounding it with mortal and pestle or mashing it with your hand. Rinse with water to extract the sauce. Separate the seeds and chaff from the liquid. Pour the sauce into a pan and cook it down.
• If you are using the palm concentrate, dissolve concentrate in 6 cups of hot water. This will lighten the concentrate and the dirt and sand will naturally sink to the bottom. Decant it into a pot and cook it down.
• Wash dried fish and meat (tiko) by soaking them in hot water to soften and loosen them,then scrub with a brush or iron sponge to get rid of sand and dirt.
• Prep other ingredients such as the crayfish, bend spice (ataiko and ruguje) and onions. Chop okro and clean smoked fish.
• While the palm nut extract is cooking add the dried meat (tiko) banga stick, dried pepper, crayfish, seasoning cubes, a little salt. Cook for about 10 - 15 minutes. 
• Once it begins to thicken, add the dried fish, ground onion,  beletete leaves,  ground ataiko and ruguje and continue cooking.
• When it starts to thicken, add the smoked fish and chopped okro and cook for about 10 minutes. Then taste for salt and pepper  and add to taste. Add about 4 cups of water if soup is too thick then cook for 5 minutes and food is ready.
• To increase the flavor, cook in clay pot. Enjoy with eba or starch.

Ingredients

1 can (800 g/28.2 Oz) Palm nut/Banga or Palm concentrate

 15 - 20 pieces dried meat (Tiko)

2 Smoked mackerel fish

2 Dried fish

 1/3 cup whole crayfish

1/3 cup ground crayfish

3/4 cup dried headless shrimp

1 medium onion

1 - 2 tbsp dried hot pepper (red)

 2 cups cut okro

 2 seasoning cubes

 1/2 tsp ataiko

  1/2 tsp ruguje

 1 tsp beletete (Bush apple leaves)

 Small piece oburunbebe stick/banga stick 

 Salt to taste

10 cups water