Banga Rice. Ofe Akwu Rice (Palm Nut Goodness)

 

IMG_3961 (2)Although I grew up in Delta State, I am an Igbo girl, nwa Igbo! And I swear I used to dislike Banga rice and anything banga. (Banga is the raw oil gotten from boiling, pounding and squeezing the palm nut) In fact, I did not understand some of their local dishes. Some of the kids at school used to bring Banga rice for lunch and I would have this funny look on my face and ask “what is banga?” I never understood it until one of my Older brothers cooked Banga soup with some fresh fish. Years later, I was working on rice recipes and I thought, hmmm banga rice! Eureka! I am trying to be on #fitfam, but any time I cook this rice, anything #fitfam goes out the window.

There is the Igbo version of this dish, and it does not contain the Banga soup spice and the Oburunbebe stick. But seeing as I grew up in Delta State of Nigeria, I did the Delta version 🙂 . I usually cook it both ways and eiter way you choose to go will turn out delicious

You could even use your left over Banga soup to make this. Just add water or meat stock and cook your rice 🙂

Warning! you are about to hit  your table with a ton of deliciousness. Even if you are not Nigerian, you would love this dish. All you need to do is follow the directions and enjoy!

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Recipe below!

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Oburunbebe stick

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Smoked chicken

 

Banga Rice. Palm Nut Goodness
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 9
Ingredients
  • 3cups of medium to long grain rice
  • ⅓ cup of whole dry prawns(washed and soaked in warm water to soften)
  • 2crushed Habanero peppers or ata-rodo
  • 1tbsp of dry grinded pepper or red chili flakes
  • 1bouillon cube
  • 1tsp Banga soup spice(Optional)
  • 2 tbsps. crayfish
  • ½lb fresh shrimps
  • 3 cooking spoons palm nut cream(you may use the cream in a can like I did)
  • 4 tbsps scent leaves(Nchawu) or Basil
  • 1 smoked chicken( washed, chopped and soaked in hot water to soften)
  • 4 cups of hot water or meat stock
  • 1 Oburunbebe Stick(optional)
Instructions
  1. Wash rice with warm water until clear; then drain
  2. in a pot mix the palm oil cream along with the water and bring to a boil. Once the oil starts to separate from the cream, add the dry pepper, bouillon cube, prawns, cray fish, one of the crushed habanero pepper and smoked chicken. Bring to a boil; then stir in the rice and reduce the heat. Season with some salt to taste, drop in the stick and cover with a foil paper and a tight lid; Cook for about 15 minutes. Stir in the fresh shrimps along with the remaining crushed habanero pepper and basil. If the rice is still a little hard Turn the heat down to the lowest heat or totally off and cover with the foil and lid for another 10minutes. This will give opportunity for the steam to cook the rice. After about 10minutes the rice will soften, but it will still have a little bite to it; then let it rest before serving
Notes
If using palm nuts, Cook them until soft, drain and pound the nuts with the flesh in a mortar; using a mortar and a pestle. Once all the flesh is crushed, pour in water in little increments and drain while squeezing; then use the fresh oil for the rice. Boil the fresh oil for a few minutes to thicken before adding water.

If making the Igbo version, you could leave out the Banga soup spice and the Oburunbebe stick

 

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