SOUP RECIPES (ABAK ATAMA SOUP)

SOUP RECIPES (ABAK ATAMA SOUP)

 Abak Atama is  a popular  native soup to the Efiks which is an ethnic group located primarily in  the south-eastern part of Nigeria i.e. Cross River State. It has a high nutritional value because of the vegetable and herbs that is involved.  It's similar to Ofe Akwu (Banga soup) of the southerners with the only difference being the spices and herbs used in cooking the soup.
The name "Abak" simply means palm fruit extract and "Atama" is a vegetable also known as Beletete in Delta State hence the name Abak Atama which is derived from a combination of the palm fruit and vegetable used in cooking it. It's mostly prepared with seafood which is quite popular in the region but you can use beef . Atama leaves is an aromatic vegetable, wildly grown in the southern parts of Nigeria but can also be found in the eastern boundaries. 

                                                         

Ingredients Abak Atama Soup
* 850g Fresh Palm Nuts (Abak)
* 500g of assorted Meat: beef, shaki (cow tripe or ponmo)
* Dried fish/smoked fish(optional)
* Stock fish (optional)
* 150g fresh fish
* 1 cup periwinkle (In shell with bottom part chopped off and washed)or snail (optional)
* 1 tablespoon of ground uyayak (Aidan fruit)
* 1 handful atama leaves

 *  1/2 cup smoked/ fresh prawn
* 1 small onion bulb, finely chopped
* 2 tablespoonful ground crayfish
* 2 stock cubes
* Chili pepper or scotch bonnet( to taste)
* Salt to taste

Cooking Directions

-         Rinse the palm nuts 2-3 times with water then place in a medium sized pot. Add clean water just enough to cover the palm nuts in the pot and cook on the burner for 15-20 mins till the nuts get soft. You can check this by biting into one of the nuts. If it's soft, then its ready. Mix it with your hand until all the juice comes out of the pulp and use a Colander to sieve the juice into the pot you would use to cook your soup and keep aside.

-        Wash and place the beef and assorted meat in a different pot. Add the crushed seasoning, pepper, salt and water just enough to cover the meat in the pot. Cook till the meat gets tender leaving the concentrated meat stock within.

-        Prepare the stock fish (if using any) by soaking it in hot water to soften for 10 minutes then rinse with clean water. For the smoked fish or dry fish, all you need to do is open it up from the middle, then remove the bone and gut. Rinse and set aside

                                                                              

-         Pour the extracted palm nut liquid in a medium sizeable pot and cook for about 10 minutes. Gently add the Beef and assorted meat (Including the stock "Meat water").

-         Add the smoked fish , stock fish, ground crayfish, shrimp and Uyayak. Stir and leave to cook with the pot covered for 25-30mins. 

By now the soup should be thick. Add the Periwinkles and crushed Atama leaves into the pot of soup, Stir and leave to simmer for 5 mins. Turn off the burner.

Serve  with Amala, Elubo, Pounded yam, Fufu (akpu), Eba (Garri) or Tuwo Shinkafa .