Banga rice
Authentic Deltan Banga Rice | Fried Mackerel
Banga rice another Delta rice dish made from juice extracted from the palm nut and cooked with parboiled white rice. Unlike other Nigerian rice dishes, Banga rice is very popular in Delta state. It is one street food most people from Delta state grew on. Most mornings start with hot banga rice and beans in a cellopane bag bought from a street vendor. It is rich, spicy and delicious but easy to make with only a few ingredients.
Directions
- If using fresh palm nuts (banga), wash bang thoroughly, cook until done. Once done mash and add water to extract the juice. If using the can sauce, heat up some water, add in your desired amount and cook until everything is dissolved. Let it sit for a bit to allow the debris settle at the bottom.
- Parboil rice or soak in hot water for 5 minutes, then rinse until water runs clear.
- In another pot, add the washed rice, crayfish, chopped habanero pepper, dried shrimps, diced onions, seasoning cubes, Cameroon pepper, salt. Decant the palm nut sauce into the rice and stir everything to combine. Depending on how mushy you want the rice to be, add the palm sauce in accordance. If you don't like mushy rice, add the amount of palm nut sauce to the same level of water you would use if you were cooking your regular rice. But if not, you can add enough palm nut sauce to overcook the rice. Cook until done.
Fried fish
- Cleans and cut fish to desired size. Poke the eyes of the fish so that they don't pop while frying. This could cause serious injury or burn.
- Pat fish dry. Season with salt, onion powder and Cameroon pepper. Massage the seasoning in and cover to marinate for about 30 -60 minutes.
- Heat up some vegetable oil and fry fish on both sides until done. When the fish is on one side, let it fry for about 5 minutes before flipping to the other side.
Ingredients:
3 cups long grain rice
Palm extract
2 Mackerel fish
Crayfish
Dried shrimp
2 Habanero
Cameroon pepper
1/2 onion
2 seasoning cubes
Salt