Banga Soup with Catfish (Palm Nut Soup)

⏱ 75 min · Serves 4

Rich, aromatic and deeply comforting, this West African classic is built on creamy palm nut extract simmered with tender catfish and a chorus of traditional spices. Banga soup is the kind of dish that fills the kitchen with an irresistible scent and warms you from the inside out — best enjoyed with eba, fufu or white rice.

Per serving: 480 kcal · 38.0g protein · 9.0g carbs · 34.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg fresh catfish, cleaned and cut into large chunks
• 800 ml canned palm nut concentrate (or 400 g fresh palm nuts, boiled and blended)
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 3 fresh scotch bonnet peppers (adjust to taste)
• 2 tablespoons ground crayfish
• 1 teaspoon beletete (African basil/efirin) leaves, dried or fresh
• 1 teaspoon oziza seeds (or substitute with a pinch of ground black pepper and nutmeg)
• 2 ehuru (calabash nutmeg) seeds, cracked and ground
• 1 tablespoon iru (fermented locust beans)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground uziza leaves (or substitute with extra fresh basil)
• Salt to taste
• 600 ml water

Method

1. Season the catfish pieces generously with salt and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. If using canned palm nut concentrate, dilute it with 600 ml warm water in a large pot and stir until smooth. If using fresh palm nuts, boil them for 30 minutes, pound, add water and squeeze through a sieve to extract the cream — discard the fibrous pulp.
3. Pour the palm nut liquid into a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes until the oil begins to rise to the surface.
4. Blend the onion and scotch bonnet peppers together into a rough paste. Stir this into the simmering palm nut broth along with the ground crayfish, iru, ehuru, bay leaves and oziza seeds.
5. Simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the soup thickens slightly and deepens in colour.
6. Carefully lower the seasoned catfish pieces into the pot. Stir gently to coat and cook for 15 minutes until the fish is cooked through and flaking at the edges.
7. Add the beletete and uziza leaves, taste and adjust salt. Simmer for a final 5 minutes.
8. Remove the bay leaves. Serve hot with eba, pounded yam, fufu or plain white rice.