Niger-Delta, Abuja

There is this local "restaurant" in Abuja called Niger-Delta. The first time my friend Samirah took me there 3 years ago, I was like errr... It is not a place I would normally go to. It wasn't much of a restaurant. It looked like the owner had just cleared some bush area and threw together some worn out plastic chairs and tables. The kitchen was located a few distance from the plastic settee. I could see the smoke from the firewood stove from where we were sat, the smoky smell feeling up my lungs. I reached for my inhaler while fighting off flying insects. With a confused look across my face, I glanced at Samirah and she laughed "I am not trying to sell you, Sasa. Trust me you will love the food." As we grabbed our seats we felt eyes boring holes in our backs. We looked like lost puppies in there and it didn't help we were the only females there except the some waiters and the cook.

Before my trip to Abuja, she had been raving about this place some of her colleagues had lunch and said the food, was so good you could eat your own fingers without realising it. As a self confessed foodie in my mind I was already there!

When the waiter came to take our order, Samirah decided to order for me. I let her because for one we weren't given any menus to order from. You had to be a regular there to know what was being served. It was like a club I wasn't part of, yet. Samirah ordered Banga soup with pounded yam. The food arrived sizzling in clay pots and the waiter was kind enough to bring a bowl of water for us to wash our hand in. He had assumed that we were going to eat with our hands. Thinking back now I don't think a knife and fork would have done the food justice. It was so delicious I could have gone for two more rounds but I decided to respect myself. 

This wasn't my first time of ever eating this meal but I have to say its the best I have ever tasted. And because it was so good we made it our thing. So anytime I am in Abuja, Samirah and I make sure we go and have Banga soup and pounded yam. I know we should try something else but when ever the waiter comes to take our order, I just blurt out Banga soup before she even finishes asking her question.

Last year the owner of Niger-Delta had built a roof over the sitting area. Last week Samirah told me that she has moved to a much bigger place that looked like a very massive dinning room at a boarding school complete with benches. Business must be really good!

I was thinking about the finger licking soup and decided it was high time I learnt how to prepare one of my favourite dishes incase Madame Niger-Delta decides to pack shop (heaven forbid!):

Banga Soup

Ingredients:

800g of Palm Nut Sauce 

2kg of cooked assorted Meat (beef, goat or chicken)

500ml of Beef stock

1/2 cup of dried cat fish

1/2 cup of dried king prawns

1/2 onion bulb, finely chopped

1 scotch bonnet, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of Banga Spice Leaves

1 Knorr cubes

Directions:
Heat the palm nut sauce in a sauce pan until you see the palm oil rising to the surface. Add some stock (this will depend on how thick you like your soup. Make sure you don't exceed 500ml). Add the onions, fish, scotch bonnet and dried prawns and Knorr cubes. Cook for about 5 minutes and then add spice leaves.

Cook for a further 2 minutes and your Banga soup is ready. Serve with Pounded Yam or Eba.

Banga Soup