How to cook Abak Atama Soup

How to cook Abak Atama Soup

Abak Atama Soup is a delicious soup popular amongst
the Ibibios of Akwa Ibom State in Southern Nigeria.
Its name is derived from the two dominant ingredients:
Palm Fruit Concentrate (Abak) and Atama Leaves.

The base palm fruit concentrate used in preparing Abak
Atama makes it similar to the Banga soup of the Niger
Delta origin and the Ofe Akwu of the Igbos but the
difference is in the spices and vegetables used for each
of these soups and stews.

The palm fruit extract used in cooking Abak Atama Soup
is quite different from the red palm oil used in cooking
Nigerian food recipes. Palm Oil is pure oil extracted from
the palm fruit pulp at high temperatures while the palm
fruit extract used for the Abak Atama Soup is extracted
at a very low temperatures and is a mixture of oil and
water. Palm fruit oil extracted for Abak Atama Soup
contains less saturated fat than palm oils.

Ingredients for Banga Soup

For 4 servings, you will need:
500g Palm Fruits or 400g tinned Palm Fruit Concentrate
Assorted meat and fish.
You can use:
Beef or Goat Meat
Cow Skin (ponmo)
Smoked fish
Dry fish
Stock fish
1 handful thinly sliced atama leaves
1 onion
2 tablespoons ground crayfish
2 milk cups unshelled periwinkles
Habanero pepper (Atarodo, ose oyibo, atarugu: to taste)
2 small stock cubes
Salt (to taste)

Notes on the ingredients

1. In Nigeria, we have the "agric" and native palm fruit.
The "agric" palm fruit has more flesh and can yield more
oil and extract while the native palm fruit comes in
smaller sizes but gives your stews and soups a more
delicious flavour. It is best to combine both where
possible.
2. Atama leaves (English name unknown) give the soup
its unique aroma as well as taste. Just ask for atama in
Nigerian markets where soups ingredients are sold. The
leaves dry up easily so where the fresh ones are not
available you can use the dry ones. Fresh atama leaves
have a bitter taste.
3. Please note that unshelled periwinkles are used for
this recipe.
4. Fresh fish (fresh cat fish) also goes very well with
this soup so you can use it instead of dry cat fish.
Before you cook Abak Atama Soup
1. Extract the palm fruit concentrate from the palm
fruits. If using the tinned palm fruit concentrate, open the
tin and set aside.
2. Dice the onion, blend the fresh Pepper and wash and
cut the ponmo into small pieces and set aside.
3. Soak, debone and clean the dry fish. Debone and
clean the smoked fish. Rinse in cold water making sure
they are free from sand. Then break them up into desired
pieces and set aside.
4. Cut of the pointed ends of the shells of the
periwinkles with the blunt side of a matchete. This is
known as trimming the periwinkles. This can be done for
you in Nigerian markets. Wash them thoroughly to
remove all sand. Wash several times till the water runs
clear.
5. Place the periwinkles in a pot, cover with water and
boil with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes, drain off
the water and set the periwinkles aside. While boiling the
periwinkles, do not cover the pot else it boils over.
6. Wash the atama leaves thoroughly and cut into thin
slices like the way we cut afang leaves. Atama can be
sliced for you by sellers in Nigerian markets. If you wish
to reduce the bitterness, squeeze and rub the leaves
between your palms and fingers while washing the sliced
leaves just like washing bitter leaves. Change the water a
couple of times. The dry leaves are not as bitter as the
fresh atama leaves, some of the bitterness is lost during the drying process.

7. Clean all meats thoroughly.

Cooking Directions

1. Place the pieces of beef or goat meat, pieces of
ponmo and stock fish in a pot. Add as little water as
possible, add the onion (diced) and the stock cubes then
cover and cook till tender. Add the deboned dry fish
and/or smoked fish when almost done.

2. Pour the extracted palm fruit concentrate in a another
pot, set the pot on the stove and start cooking on high
heat. Leave to boil till you notice some red oil at the top
of the palm fruit extract. If you think that it is watery,
cook till the extract has thickened to a medium
consistency.
3. Add the cooked meat and fish with the meat stock,
crayfish and pepper, the precooked periwinkles, the
atama leaves and salt to taste, stir gently and leave to
simmer for 5 minutes.

Cooking Directions for those using tinned palm fruit
concentrate

1. When the beef and fish are well done, add the palm
fruit concentrate, stir and add water if necessary to get
the consistency you like for your soups. Leave to boil.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients (continue from step 3
above).
NB: Do not worry if the soup appears light. Abak Atama
Soup has a tendency to thicken by the next day. It can
also easily become more salty overnight so please add
salt sparingly.

Serve with any Nigerian swallow of your choice:
Semolina, Pounded Yam and many more.you can also visit our page here to learn more Facebook.com/howtocookallnigerianfood