Nigerian Moin Moin (also known as Moi Moi) is a great dish accessory in Nigeria. It is commonly a side dish to mains like Jollof Rice, Fried Rice, Fried Plantain, Custard, Akamu (Pap, Ogi) etc. It can even be eaten alone as a snack with a chilled soft drink to wash it down.
Ingredients
- 3 cigar cups or 750g Beans (Brown/Black eyed)
- 5 tablespoons ground crayfish
- 4 big stock cubes
- 1 habanero pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 3 tatashe peppers or 800g watery tomato puree (sold outside Nigeria)
- 2 big onions
- 20cl vegetable or palm oil
- 2 litres of cool or warm water
- Salt (to taste)
You can add any of the following to the Moin Moin as garnishes for extra flavour.
- Hard boiled eggs: Cut the eggs into small pieces.
- Corned beef: separate into small chunks and add to the moin moin during mixing.
- Boiled titus fish
For the containers you can use the aluminium foil, plastic bowls, Uma leaves or ramekin dishes.
-
Soak them for about 15 minutes, pulse in the blender or food processor to break the peas (about 5- 10 times or about 10 to 15 seconds) - you should do this in small quantities.
-
In a large bowl, soak the beans with warm water for about 2 hours or up to 24 hours, cover with water until tender.
-
Rub the peas between your hands to take the skin off. The skins will float to the top. Pour off the skins into a colander; you may have to do this process several times.
-
Most of the skin will come off the peas; Sort through the remaining peas to remove all the skin. You can do this ahead of time and freeze it, to save time
-
Soak beans in water for about an hour to overnight to tenderize the beans to facilitate blending.
-
Chop onions, bell pepper, and habanero and set aside
-
In a food processor or blender puree onions, soaked black eyed peas, bell and habanero pepper with about a cup or more of water or stock until completely smooth. You might have to do this in two batches.
-
Pour the mixture into a large bowl; add, oil (palm and vegetable oil). Mix everything together, then, season to taste with Maggie and salt. Make sure you have used up all the water.
-
Lightly oil (or use non-fat vegetable spray) about 6 (6-ounce) baking cups and set them into a large baking dish. You can also use a small baking dish instead of ramekins (baking cups).
-
Pour mixture into ramekins and proceed with method of preparation.
-
Pour about half an inch of water into the bottom of a large saucepan. Then put something like a steamer to raise the moin moin of the ground.
-
Gently place the ramekins on the steamer, then cover with lid and let it steam for about 45 minutes to an hour.
-
Before blending the beans; preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to center position.
-
Pour Moin-moin mixture into prepared baking cups, cover with more mixture until about three quarters full. Gently place ramekins pans to the large baking pan.
-
Bring the water (to place in the large baking dish) to a light simmer on top of the stove; carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins cups.
-
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for about an hour to an hour and a half.
-
Let mixture rest for about 10 minutes or more before serving.
Leave a comment