MOI MOI (MOIN MOIN)

 Moi moi also called moin moin is another popular food eaten in Nigeria. It is made by blending peeled bean, adding fillings of choice and then steaming it. Originally, moi moi is cooked in leaves but in the present day, there has been a lot of improvisation.

The leaf for this recipe is hard to come by where I live. Hence why I cook my mine in nylon, foil paper, plastic or recycled tin but the truth is nothing beats moin moin cooked in leaves. I look forward to the day I will come across fresh leaves here and I can cook it as it should be.

Moi moi is mostly eaten as breakfast and it can also be eaten as a side meal to other dishes preferably rice. People find making it tedious, honestly, it is very easy to make. If you are finding it difficult to make this recipe, put a lot of practice into it and you will perfect it over time.

Like I mentioned earlier, you can have any filling of choice in yours. The fillings that go into moin moin includes hard boiled eggs, cooked liver, dried prawns, ground crayfish, boiled fish, chopped beef etc. Basically, put anything you want that is readily available in your moi moi.

Unlike akara where you deep fry in palm oil or vegetable oil, in this case, you will have to mix the oil with the pureed beans. I used a combination of palm oil and vegetable oil for this recipe. Here are few pointers before you make yours.

TIPS FOR MAKING MOIN MOIN

•  Save time by peeling your beans with blender/food processor
•   Soak beans a day before so it is readily available to use on the day (keep refrigerated).
• Moi moi batter is lighter than that of akara
•  I can’t stress this enough, always prep ahead in the kitchen so you have a stress free and fun cooking
•   Prepare the nylon bag, if possible double it for durability. If you are using leaves, wash clean  and set aside
  

  INGREDIENTS TO MAKE MOI MOI

  4 cups of peeled beans (Use honey bean or black eye peas)

  3-6 hard boiled eggs (use as a whole or sliced)

  Dried prawns

  3tsp ground crayfish

  Salt to taste

  4 bullion cubes (I used Knorr cubes)

  Ginger and garlic (optional)

  1 mackerel fish, cleaned and gutted

  Onions

  1 red bell pepper (tatashe)

  2 scotch bonnet chillies (ata rodo)

  1 Cup palm oil

  11/2 cup vegetable oil

  

  HOW TO MAKE IT

  Soak beans in water for about 10 minutes, feel the beans and if the skin peels off easily, then it is ready to be peeled. You can either peel the beans by hand or with the use of a blender or food processor.

  Soak beans in clean water and leave for some few hours to soften. I left mine in the fridge overnight.

  Boil fish with salt, seasoning and onions for about 5-7 minutes, set aside to cool. De-bone and flake fish.

  When you are ready to it, add beans in bits to a blender, add red bell pepper, ata rodo and onions, enough water to cover and blend till very smooth.

  Pour pureed beans in a big bowl

  Add seasoning, ginger, garlic (if using) ground crayfish, and salt to the pureed beans and beat with a wooden ladle (omo irogun/turning stick) for about 10 minutes to incorporate air in the beans batter. This is just to achieve a fluffy and light moi moi. Alternatively, use a hand blender or mixer to make the job easier.

  

  Place a pan on medium heat, add water and leave to boil while you continue with the beans

  Using a scoop, add beans batter in the nylon bag in bits, add all the toppings you want then tie the beans tightly and also leave a bit of space between the beans batter and the knot to allow for expansion during cooking. Continue this process till you have exhausted all the batter.

  Add the tied bags to the already boiling water in the pan, reduce the heat if on high, add a little more to the pan and cover tightly. Cook for about 40-50 minutes or till beans is set. (Check the pan from time to time to make sure the water does not dry out as this will burst the bags) Take it off the heat and allow to cool.
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   Thanks for reading and kindly leave your comments below.  #teesfoodsandpastries on Instagram