Nigerian Banga Soup with Classic Spice Blend

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 6 servings
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Quick Ingredients

• 1 (800 g / 28 oz) can palm-nut cream (palm fruit extract)
• 700 g catfish steaks (or 700 g beef stew meat, cubed)
• 3 cups low-sodium fish or beef stock (or water)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 Scotch bonnets (or 1–2 Tbsp ground chili), minced
• 2 tsp banga spice blend (or see homemade option below)
• 1 Tbsp ground crayfish (dried shrimp powder)
• 1 small oburunbebe stick (optional)
• 2 Tbsp chopped scent leaf or fresh basil (or beletete, if available)
• 1–2 seasoning cubes (optional), 1¼ tsp fine sea salt, black pepper
• Optional: 150 g smoked fish chunks; ½ cup periwinkles

Do This

• 1. If using beef, simmer cubes in 1 cup stock with ½ tsp salt until tender, 30–35 minutes. If using catfish, rinse, pat dry, and season with ½ tsp salt; set aside.
• 2. In a pot, whisk palm-nut cream with remaining 2 cups stock; add onion, chilies, crayfish, banga spice, and oburunbebe stick.
• 3. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat (about 93–95°C / 200°F); cook uncovered 15–20 minutes until slightly reduced and glossy oil beads rise.
• 4. Add protein: beef (with its cooking liquid) or catfish pieces. Add smoked fish/periwinkle if using.
• 5. Simmer gently: catfish 8–10 minutes (to 63°C / 145°F); beef 10–12 minutes to meld flavors. Do not boil hard.
• 6. Stir in scent leaf; season with salt/pepper and, if using, crushed seasoning cube. Remove oburunbebe stick. Rest 5 minutes; serve with eba, pounded yam, or “starch.”

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Deep, authentic Delta-style flavors from palm fruit and classic banga spices.
• Flexible: choose catfish for a silky seafood version or beef for hearty comfort.
• Weeknight-friendly with canned palm-nut cream and simple pantry spices.
• Luxuriously glossy finish that’s perfect with eba, pounded yam, or “starch.”

Grocery List

• Produce: Onion, Scotch bonnets/habaneros, scent leaf (African basil) or fresh basil, lemon or lime (for cleaning catfish, optional).
• Dairy: None.
• Pantry: Palm-nut cream (palm fruit extract), low-sodium stock, banga spice blend (or the components below), ground crayfish, oburunbebe stick (optional), fine sea salt, black pepper, seasoning cubes (optional), smoked fish, periwinkles. For serving: garri (eba), yam flour/pounded yam, or Delta “starch.”

Full Ingredients

Banga Soup Base

• 1 (800 g / 28 oz) can palm-nut cream (palm fruit extract)
• 3 cups (720 ml) low-sodium fish or beef stock (or water)
• 1 medium onion (about 150 g), finely chopped
• 2 Scotch bonnets or habaneros, minced (seeded for less heat), or 1–2 Tbsp ground chili
• 1 Tbsp ground crayfish (dried shrimp powder)
• 1–2 seasoning cubes, crushed (optional)
• 1¼ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper (optional)
• 1 small oburunbebe stick (banga stick), rinsed (optional; remove before serving)
• 2–3 Tbsp chopped scent leaf or beletete (or fresh basil as a substitute)
• Optional add-ins: 150 g smoked fish chunks (bones removed), ½ cup periwinkle (in or out of shell)

Protein (choose one)

• Catfish version: 700 g (about 1.5 lb) fresh catfish steaks, cleaned and cut into large pieces
• Beef version: 700 g (about 1.5 lb) boneless beef (chuck/stew meat), cut into 2.5 cm (1-inch) cubes

Classic Banga Spice

• Store-bought: 2 tsp Nigerian banga spice blend (pack mix).
• Homemade approximation (if you can’t find the pack): 1 tsp ground calabash nutmeg (ehuru), 1 tsp ground grains of selim (uda/negro pepper), ½ tsp ground alligator pepper (or substitute ½ tsp black pepper + pinch cayenne), 1 small piece oburunbebe stick (optional). Lightly toast whole spices before grinding for best aroma.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep the protein

For beef: Add beef cubes to a pot with 1 cup (240 ml) stock, ½ tsp salt, and half the chopped onion. Cover and simmer over medium heat until tender, 30–35 minutes. Reserve the beef and its cooking liquid.

For catfish: Rinse steaks; to remove slime, rub with 1 tsp salt and a squeeze of lemon or a splash of hot water, then rinse and pat dry. Season lightly with ½ tsp salt and set aside.

Step 2: Build the palm-nut base

In a 4–5 liter pot, whisk the palm-nut cream with the remaining 2 cups (480 ml) stock (or water). Stir in the remaining onion, minced chilies, ground crayfish, banga spice, and the oburunbebe stick if using. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat (target 93–95°C / 200°F).

Step 3: Simmer to concentrate flavor

Cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup slightly thickens and glossy orange-red oil droplets rise to the surface. This gentle reduction concentrates the palm fruit flavor and sets the base.

Step 4: Add the protein and optional seafood

For beef: Add the cooked beef along with its reserved cooking liquid. For catfish: Gently nestle the fish pieces into the simmering base. If using smoked fish or periwinkles, add them now.

Step 5: Finish cooking without boiling hard

Maintain a gentle simmer (no vigorous boil to avoid breaking the fish). Cook catfish for 8–10 minutes, or until opaque and just cooked through (63°C / 145°F internal). For beef, simmer 10–12 minutes more to meld flavors and reach your desired thickness.

Step 6: Herb finish and seasoning

Stir in chopped scent leaf or beletete. Taste and adjust with salt, black pepper, and crushed seasoning cube if using. Remove the oburunbebe stick. The surface should look glossy with a light sheen of palm oil.

Step 7: Rest and serve

Turn off heat and let the soup rest 5 minutes to settle. Serve hot with eba (garri), pounded yam, or Delta “starch” (cassava starch cooked with palm oil) for dipping and scooping.

Pro Tips

• Glossy finish comes from gentle reduction: simmer uncovered until small beads of orange-red oil bloom on top.
• Fish is delicate: add it last and keep the simmer gentle to avoid breaking the steaks.
• Beef version benefits from tougher cuts (chuck) cooked until tender; use the beef stock to deepen the soup.
• Can’t find banga spice? Toast whole calabash nutmeg and grains of selim briefly before grinding to unlock aroma.
• Adjust heat with Scotch bonnets cautiously—start small and build; their heat intensifies as the soup reduces.

Variations

• Seafood Deluxe: Catfish plus 200 g peeled shrimp and 150 g calamari rings; add shrimp/calamari for the final 3–4 minutes.
• Beef and Smoked Medley: Beef cubes with 150 g smoked catfish or mackerel and a handful of periwinkles for a deep, smoky note.
• Vegetarian: Replace meat with 400 g mixed mushrooms (oyster/shiitake) and 1 cup roasted eggplant cubes; add 1 tsp smoked salt for depth.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days. The base freezes well up to 3 months; for best texture, add catfish or shrimp fresh when reheating. Reheat gently over medium-low heat until steaming (avoid a rolling boil, especially with fish). The soup will thicken as it rests—thin with a splash of stock or water if needed.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate, without sides. Catfish version: about 410 kcal; 22 g protein; 35 g fat; 5 g carbs; 1 g fiber; 900 mg sodium (varies with seasoning). Beef version: about 460 kcal; 24 g protein; 39 g fat; 5 g carbs; 1 g fiber; 950 mg sodium. Actual values vary by ingredient brands and add-ins.