Hello Foodies Bee... Today I'd love to share what I've been up to this weekend with you.
So, I made my African Banga Stew, the Eastern part of Nigeria call it Ofe Akwu. It is made with palm fruits gotten from palm trees.
I learnt how cook this stew from my mom. I'm always in kitchen whenever she's there to help out. So, while helping, I also learn. I do prefer Banga Stew to the normal fresh tomatoes stew because I don't really need to fry anything while making the Banga stew and it's a way of appreciating, promoting and accepting our local meals.
I'll be sharing the ingredients and procedures on how to prepare my delicious African delicacy.
INGREDIENTS:
• Mkpuru Akwu (palm fruits)
• Protein (meat, fish, chicken). I used goat meat.
• Obenetietien
• Umilo- chrysobalanus icaco
• Gbafilo- rough-skinned plum
• Ataiko
• Macadamia nuts, toasted
• Okpei (castor seed). Is a food flavouring produced from fermented castor seed. Salt-free seasoning blend let's you enjoy a healthy meal without skipping out on taste
All these seeds, castor seed, macadamia nuts, Gbafilo-(rough-skinned plum, umilo(chrysobalanus icaco and obenetietien are all seasoning that is used for most Nigerian local dishes to boost the food's aroma and taste.
• spices, I used chicken and ehuru spices
• Salt and seasoning cubes to taste.
• water
• pepper
• crayfish
• stockfish
• Dried fish
• Sent leaf (vegetable)
PROCEDURE
Now that we've learnt the ingredients, let's delve into the procedure on how to prepare the delicacy.
The first and the most important thing to do is to wash all the washable thoroughly.
Step1)
I washed the palm fruits thoroughly, put in the pot, added 2½ cups of water and cooked for 30 mins.
Step2)
I washed the protein (goat meat), put in the pot, added ½ a teaspoon of salt, 2 cubes of Knorr magi, 1 chopped onion bulb, stir and place on medium heat and cook for 10 mins, I washed the stockfish and added in the meat, covered the pot and cook for an extra 15mins.
Step 3)
I pounded all the castor seed, macadamia nuts, Gbafilo- rough-skinned plum, umilo- chrysobalanus icaco and obenetietien together in the African way with mortar and pestle.
Step 4)
Now, the palm fruits has been cooked for 30 mins, I sieved out the water, pounded them, put in a bowl, added a cup of water, squeezed out the oil from the palm fruits and sieved into my cooking pot. I repeated it twice. Then placed on medium heat and allow to cook for 20 mins. I checked it continuously because it tends to over bubble and splash when the pot is entirely covered. So I left the pot half covered to avoid that.
Step5)
I added combo mixture ( castor seed, macadamia nuts, Gbafilo- rough-skinned plum, obenetietien, umilo-chrysobalanus), added 4cubes of seasoning cubes, ¼ tablespoon of salt, cover and cook for 10 mins.
Step 6)
I washed the dried fish with warm water, took out the bones and added it in my pot of Banga stew, added the protein and stockfish, crayfish Banga spices and cook for 10 mins.
Step 7)
By this time, my Banga stew is almost ready 😋. So I peeled the sent leaf, washed, sliced and added to it. I sliced it at the last stage because I like it to remain fresh in the stew. I cooked ju for 5 seconds and there, my Banga stew is ready.
Step 8)
I washed 3 cups of rice, and cooked for 40 mins.
Then I served the Banga stew with rice.
Guess what? I cleared the plate😋🥰.
Thanks for stopping by