Moin Moin (Nigerian Bean Pudding)
Moin moin, also called moimoi or moyin moyin, is a traditional West African (particularly Nigerian) dish based on black-eyed peas or other beans. It is usually conical or cylindrical in shape, depending on the type of mould used. Some use small baking tins as the mould, while others use light transparent nylon bags. Traditionally, however, the moin-moin is wrapped in leaves of the Yoruba soft cane (Thaumatococcus daniellii). The leaves give the dish a sweetish aftertaste.
Servings
4
About 2 milk tins of black-eyed peas, or other beans
Water
Bell peppers, diced
Scotch bonnet chile peppers, diced
Onion, diced
About 2–3 tbsp palm or vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Seasoning cubes to taste
Hard-boiled eggs (optional), cut in quarters
Dried or fresh fish (optional)
Beef (optional), in chunks or minced
Liver (optional)
Place the beans in a large container. Cover them with water, and soak for about 1 hour.
1 hour
Blend all the peppers with the onion to make a smooth paste.
Prepare foil or empty cans as molds for cooking. If using empty cans, make sure their interior is clean, and lightly greased.
If using foil: Tear off about 1 foot (30 cm) of the foil.
Fold the foil in half.
One of the edges is closed and fine. For two of the other edges, roll them a few times over to make sure they will take the weight of the mixture (at least an inch-worth of rolling).
When you are done, the foil will look like rectangles with only one edge open.
Grind the peeled beans alongside the pepper and onion to give a smooth paste.
Add grounded Maggi, salt, and vegetable oil to the paste, and stir with a wooden spoon to make the ingredients uniform.
Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).
Rub vegetable oil in the muffin cups and pour the moi moi mixture inside.
Fold aluminum foil to the sides of the up to prevent the moi moi from drying up.
Pour water in an oven tray and place the muffin cups in the tray
Bake for 45 minutes, replenishing the water as necessary to prevent it from drying up.
45 minutes
Leave to cool down and remove from oven when done.
- •Some people recommend lightly grinding the beans before soaking them to make it easier to remove the skin.
- •Some variants of this dish call for minimal or no removal of the beans' skins. The resulting moin moin is thicker than usual, and somewhat harder to digest.