Moin moin

Ingredients

Beans

• 500 gdried black-eyed beans
• water, for soaking

Blend

• 2red bell peppers
• 2scotch bonnet or rodo peppers
• 1onion
• 3cm ginger
• 200 mlwarm water or stock

Seasoning

• 120 mlvegetable oil
• 2 tbspground crayfish
• 1stock cube
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspground white pepper

Fillings

• 4hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 200 gsmoked or tinned mackerel, flaked
• or corned beef

Wrapping

• ewe eran, moin moin leaves, or banana leaves
• or ramekins, or foil pouches

Directions

1. Soak the beans in plenty of water for 20 to 30 minutes, until the skins loosen. Do not soak them for hours at this stage. Rub handfuls of beans between your palms, hard, then add water and let the loose skins float to the top. Pour the floating skins off, add more water, and rub again.
2. Repeat this four or five times until almost no skins remain. A blender pulsed very briefly loosens the skins fast, but it will break the beans if you go past a few seconds.
3. Blend the peeled beans with the peppers, onion, ginger and just enough water to move the blades. Use as little water as you can manage. A wet batter never sets properly and comes out of the steamer as a sloppy mess.
4. Blend it as smooth as your machine will go, which may take several minutes in batches. The batter should be thick and pourable, roughly like a thick pancake batter, and it should hold a mound briefly. Beat in the oil, ground crayfish, stock cube, salt and white pepper. Beat the batter hard for 3 or 4 minutes after the oil goes in.
5. Taste the raw batter for salt, which is safe with beans and is the only chance you get. If using leaves, soften them briefly over a flame or in hot water, then fold each into a cone and pinch the base. Fill them only two-thirds. Stand the parcels upright in a steamer over simmering water, packed against each other so they stay upright. Cover and steam for 45 to 50 minutes.
6. Keep the water at a steady simmer and top it up with boiling water, never cold, which would stop the cooking. Do not open the steamer for the first 30 minutes, because the escaping steam collapses the rising batter.
7. Let them rest 10 minutes before unwrapping, because they firm up as they cool slightly. Cold leftovers are eaten with bread the next morning, which many people prefer.

Technique

• Peeled bean flour, sold as moin moin flour, skips the peeling entirely and is widely used.
• The colour comes from the red bell peppers rather than from tomato.
• Ekuru is the same batter steamed plain, without pepper or seasoning.

Substitutions

• Peeled bean flour or ready-peeled beans.
• Foil pouches or ramekins in place of leaves.

Variations

• Vegetarian, with no fish or crayfish.
• With minced beef or prawns in the filling.
• Ekuru, steamed plain and served with pepper sauce.

History

Steamed bean pudding traditionally wrapped in ewe eran leaves, which perfume the cooked cake; a Yoruba party and Sunday dish.

Frequently asked questions

What is Moin moin?

Moin moin is a salad & side from Nigeria: steamed bean pudding with fish or boiled egg. Steamed bean pudding traditionally wrapped in ewe eran leaves, which perfume the cooked cake; a Yoruba party and Sunday dish.

How long does Moin moin take to make?

Moin moin takes 45 min plus overnight soaking of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 portions. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Moin moin?

Yes, within limits. Peeled bean flour or ready-peeled beans. Foil pouches or ramekins in place of leaves.

What is the most important thing to get right in Moin moin?

Soak the beans in plenty of water for 20 to 30 minutes, until the skins loosen. Do not soak them for hours at this stage. Rub handfuls of beans between your palms, hard, then add water and let the loose skins float to the top. Pour the floating skins off, add more water, and rub again.