SOUP RECIPES (ABAK MBAKARA)

SOUP RECIPES (ABAK MBAKARA)

Abak Mbakara is a palm nut soup native to the Niger-Delta areas of Nigeria. It is not very different from Banga soup and tastes equally good. Abak Mbakara has quite a number of sea foods but most people cook it to suit their needs, palate and budget .

Ingredient

1 can palm fruit extract or 2kg fresh palm fruits
- 1 fresh fish(any of choice)

- 1 cup periwinkles (use boiled small snails as substitute)
- 1 fresh yellow pepper(aka scent pepper) (chopped)
- 3 handful water leaves                                     

 2 tablespoonful ground crayfish or fresh prawns

- 1 small sized onions(minced or chopped)

- 2 stock cube/seasoning cube

- salt to taste

Note: you can add dried fish, stock fish, fresh prawns, crabs or any other sea food of choice.

Preparation

  Wash and chop the water leaves and set aside.  
- Clean, cut and parboil the fish for 2 minutes with a little water, chopped onions, 1 stock cube and salt to taste; and set aside.
- If using fresh palm fruits, wash and boil in a pot of water until soft.
- Then pour into a mortar and extract  the oily pulp. Add a little hot water to help scoop out the extract; and then transfer into a wide pot.

-  If using the canned ones pour the palm fruit extract into a wide pot and leave to boil for 5 minutes.      

 Then add the cooked small snails or fresh periwinkles and continue boiling for another 10 minutes or until the oil begins to rise to the top of the palm fruit extract. If using extract from fresh palm fruit, leave to boil until it thickens. 
-Add the ground crayfish, chopped pepper and the remaining stock cube. Stir gently.

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