By Ebun Sessou

Unlike the Delta Banga soup which is served with starch or eba, the Banga rice is a combination of all ingredients used in cooking the Banga soup. In Banga Rice, the Banga spices and rice are added to make up the food. A friend cooked this food over the weekend and it was amazing. Banga rice tastes and looks like the real jollof rice.

Banga rice

Ingredients

Palm fruit extract – either made from scratch or in a can

Banga spices

Smoked fish

Oburunbebe stick (optional)

Beef stock

Salt

Cubes

Crayfish

Onions

Beletete leaves

Fresh fish

Rice

Chopped red onions

Dry or fresh pepper

Preparations

Dissolve the palm fruit extract in enough water to cook the amount of rice you need. Add beef stock if you have, chopped onions, dry pepper, the Banga spices, the Obunrubebe stick, the smoked fish, crayfish, salt and seasoning cubes.

Bring this to a boil until you see patches of oil float to the top. Taste to be sure you are pleased with the flavour, turn down the heat and go wash the rice.  Add the washed rice to the pot. The rice grains will cook and absorb the palm fruit broth. Let the rice cook till it gets soft. Serve immediately. Serve with a small portion of Banga soup if you have and also serve with fresh fish and prawns

Nutritional benefits of Banga

Palm oil in banga rice is very rich in vitamin K that plays important role in blood clot. It is essential for building strong bones and prevents heart disease. The vitamin K, which contains antioxidant present in palm kernel Juice prevents cancer. Vitamin K properties contributes to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Vitamin K improves insulin sensitivity.

Magnesium content in palm kernel juice play important role in over 300 enzymatic reactions with the body including the metabolism of food and synthesis of fatty acids and proteins. Intake of this food made with palm kernel juice helps to prevent the prevalence of insulin resistance (diabetes), coronary heart disease (heart failure, abnormal heart rhythm), metabolic syndrome and osteoporosis.

Researches show that consumption of palm kernel juice in soup such as banga contains magnesium with combination of vitamin B6 and appears to be efficacious to reduce the effect of premenstrual syndrome symptoms such as insomnia, weight gain, bloating, leg swelling and breast tenderness.

Palm kernel juice also contain Vitamins A that is essential for healthy vision. Vitamin A is also to ensure healthy growth of the bone; the state of health of the reproduction and immune systems. It also helps the skin and mucous membranes repel bacteria and viruses more effectively.

It also contains vitamin E which is a powerful natural anti-oxidants that help in protection against cancer and guarantees to give your skin a fresher look and lowers your cholesterol level, thus protecting against heart diseases.