Banga Rice
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Overview
Banga rice is rice cooked in palm fruit extract, and it belongs to the Urhobo people of southern Nigeria. Banga is the name for the juice pressed from palm nut fruit, and cooking parboiled rice in it rather than in water or stock is what makes this dish rather than a variation on jollof. Palm fruit extract is a foundation across the Niger Delta and the south east and south west. Almost every group has built a soup on it under its own name: ofe akwu among the Igbo, abak atama in Akwa Ibom, obe eyin in Yoruba, oghwoamiedi among the Urhobo, izuwoibiedi for the Isoko. The herbs and spices are what separate them from one another. Texture is what this is judged on. It must be extremely soft, since it is absorbing the flavours of everything around it, and neither dry nor mushy. Its creaminess comes entirely from the palm fruit extract. Leftover banga soup or ofe akwu works perfectly well as the base, which is much of how it gets made at home, and tinned palm fruit concentrate is a legitimate shortcut. Scent leaf goes in near the end, as it does in most southern Nigerian rice dishes.
AFN Heritage Note
Banga rice is associated with the Urhobo people of southern Nigeria and is cooked in banga, the extract pressed from palm nut fruit, which forms the base of soups across the Niger Delta and southern Nigeria.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Chop the onions and cow skin into small pieces. Discard the head of the smoked catfish and break the rest into chunks. Do the same for the dried shrimp.
- 2
Using a food processor, pulse the bell pepper, sweet pepper and scotch bonnet until fine but still visible.
- 3
Soak the rice in hot water for 5 minutes, then wash and rinse to remove excess starch.
- 4
Soak the dried scent leaves in hot water for 5 minutes, then discard the water.
- 5
Add the oil to a heated pan and put in the onions. Let them cook for a few seconds, followed by the blended peppers.
- 6
Cook for about 2 minutes, then add the banga palm nut soup, cow skin, smoked catfish, half the crayfish, half the dried shrimp, seasoning cubes, salt and banga spice. Cook for 5 minutes.
- 7
Add the long grain rice and 200 g of water and cook for another 15 minutes.
- 8
Stir with a wooden spoon and add the remaining crayfish, dried shrimp and scent leaves.
- 9
Taste and adjust the seasoning, reduce the heat and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Africook’s Notes
Personal notes from Nympha Nzeribe- The rice should end up very soft, neither dry nor mushy. It is absorbing flavour from everything around it and firm rice defeats the point.
- Rinse the rice properly to remove excess starch, or the finished dish turns claggy.
- Leftover banga soup or ofe akwu works as the base, which is how this is most often made at home.
- Tinned palm fruit concentrate, sold as banga sauce or palm nut cream, is a legitimate substitute for fresh extract and saves a great deal of work.
- Add the scent leaf near the end. Its aroma is volatile and long cooking wastes it.
- Discard the catfish head as the recipe directs. It carries a disproportionate amount of bitterness.
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