Moi Moi

Nigerian steamed black-eyed pea pudding

Origin: Nigeria, West Africa

From the journey of Beans.

Moi Moi (also spelled Moin Moin) is one of Nigeria's most beloved dishes (a steamed savoury pudding made from blended black-eyed peas, peppers, onions, and spices, cooked in banana leaves or foil until set to a smooth, dense, slightly springy texture. It is eaten as a main dish, a side, or a snack at all times of day, and appears at celebrations, markets, and daily meals throughout Nigeria and across West Africa. The dish is a masterful example of Nigerian cuisine's technique of transforming legumes: the dried black-eyed peas are soaked, peeled of their skins, and blended raw with aromatics into a smooth batter, which is then gently steamed until set. The result has a texture unlike anything in European cooking) somewhere between a savoury custard and a dense terrine. Eggs, fish, or corned beef are often folded into the batter for richness. Moi Moi represents the deep tradition of bean cookery in West Africa, which long predates the arrival of the American common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), as black-eyed peas (Vigna unguiculata) are an African-origin legume domesticated in West Africa over 5,000 years ago.

Ingredients

Main

  • 300 g dried black-eyed peas, soaked for 4 hours or overnight

Aromatics

  • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 red bell peppers, roughly chopped

Spice

  • 1 fresh scotch bonnet or habanero chilli (adjust to taste)

Fat

  • 3 tbsp neutral oil or palm oil

Seasoning

  • 1 tsp ground crayfish or dried shrimp powder (optional, traditional)
  • 2 cubes stock cube (Maggi or Knorr), crumbled
  • 1 tsp salt, or to taste

Liquid

  • 200 ml water, approximately

Optional additions

  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved (optional, to embed in each portion)

Method

  1. After soaking, peel the black-eyed peas by rubbing them vigorously between your palms, then floating in a bowl of water: the skins will float to the surface and can be poured off. Repeat until most skins are removed. Drain.
  2. Blend the peeled peas, onion, bell peppers, and chilli with the water in a blender until very smooth. You may need to do this in batches. The batter should be the consistency of thick pancake batter.
  3. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the oil, ground crayfish (if using), stock cubes, and salt. Mix well. Taste the raw batter and adjust seasoning: it should taste boldly seasoned.
  4. Pour the batter into greased foil cups, small ramekins, or sections of banana leaf formed into cylinders. Fill each about ¾ full to allow expansion. If using eggs, press a halved boiled egg into the centre of each portion, then cover with a little more batter.
  5. Steam in a large pot with a steaming rack for 40–45 minutes, keeping the water at a rolling boil throughout. The moi moi is done when it is firm to the touch, set, and no longer jiggles when the cup is tapped.
  6. Remove and allow to cool in the cups for 5 minutes before turning out. Serve warm.

Notes

Moi Moi is traditionally served with jollof rice, ogi (a porridge), or simply on its own as a protein-rich snack. Palm oil gives a more authentic, distinctly West African flavour; neutral oil produces a milder result. Ground crayfish is a fermented dried shrimp powder that is a cornerstone of Nigerian cooking: if you can source it at a West African grocery, use it. The puddings can be steamed in advance and reheated, and they keep refrigerated for 3 days.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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