How To Make Moi-Moi (Bean Pudding)

Culture, Food, Stories 15/04/2024 by Rachael Hembafan Gwebe

Moi moi (beans pudding) is a Nigerian dish made from beans and it is loved by most Nigerians. Originally, moi moi was cooked in banana leaves but in the modern day, there have been a lot of other methods.

Moi moi can be eaten as breakfast, lunch, or dinner and can also be eaten with rice, pepper soup, custard, stew and whichever way you will like to have it. People see moi moi as challenging to prepare but with keenness, you will become good at it.

INGREDIENTS FOR MOI MOI

1. Beans
2. Pepper
3. Onions
4. Crayfish
5. Vegetable oil/Palm oil
6. Bouillon cubes
7. Fish (optional)
8. Salt
9. Hard-boiled eggs (optional)
10. Boiled beef liver(optional)

Piper guineense commonly called West African black pepper or uziza seed in Igbo, ata iyere in Yoruba and ‘Yiye’ in Tiv language. It is also optional

PREPARING BEANS FOR MOI MOI

1. Soak the beans for about 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Peel the back of the beans with either your;

Hands – by rubbing and washing the beans thoroughly and then you sieve out the skin to separate it from the beans. Repeat this process till most of the skin of the beans is off. This process takes time.

Food processor- drain the water from the beans and pour the soaked beans into the food processor. Pulse for some time to remove the back of the beans, pour the beans into a large bowl and add enough water to cover the beans. Swirl all around till the back of the beans floats, then pour off the back of the beans into a sieve to separate it. Repeat the process a couple of times until all the back of the beans or 80% of the back of the beans comes off.

Mortar and pestle-  drain the water from the beans pour the beans into the mortar and pound softly for the skin to come off. Then turn the beans into a bowl and pour more than enough water into the bowl of beans, agitate the beans with your fingers and the skin will float then separate the skin from the beans by pouring through a sieve. Repeat the process until you can hardly see the back of the beans.

Another thing is you can do any of these processes and then sundry the properly washed beans till it is well dried. Pack it up and keep if well covered for future use. Now this saves you the long process of having to wash the beans when next you want to make moi moi. 

So when you want to make moi moi with the dried beans, all you need do is soak the beans to soften it and then you proceed.

 You can make your moi moi using these materials;

• Banana leaves (Thaumatococcus daniellii)- this was what our parents used back in the day to wrap and make moi moi. People still use these leaves, especially roadside sellers of moi moi and pap. It is said that the leaves are medicinal and one of the best ways to wrap moi moi.
• Plastic plate
• Aluminium foil 
• Leather
• Tin containers (tin milk or tin tomatoes)

These materials except the banana leaves are said to be dangerous to health because they contain harmful compounds and toxins

STEP BY-STEP OF HOW TO MAKE MOI MOI

• Blend the beans and other ingredients- pour the peeled beans (washed and skinless beans) inside a blender, together with red pepper, onion, habanero, crayfish and African black pepper. Blend it to the smoothest consistency or you can take it to any place where they grind such.
• Turn the batter into a bowl and add your preferred oil choice, add salt, cubes, liver or fish (optional) and mix thoroughly.
• Prepare the bowls- depending on what you want to use for your moi moi, leather, tin or leaves. Make sure they are clean.
• Pour the mixture into the leaves, leather, tin or container and place the egg over it or in it. Cover it with a lid or tie it.
• Line the base of a large pot with either sack, stick, leaves or foil paper. Add just enough water to the pot so as not to submerge the moi moi. This is to prevent the moi moi from sticking to the base of the pot in case the water dries up before the moi moi gets done.
• Arrange the moi moi inside the pot and cook till it is ready. This should take about 50mins to 1 hour or even more depending on the quantity of the moi moi.
• To check or know if the moi moi is done, insert a toothpick or the tip of a knife into the moi moi. The moi moi is done when the tip of the knife or toothpick comes out fairly clean or you can take out one of the moi moi to open and eat to see if it is done.
• When ready, remove from heat and serve.

There you have your savory moi moi and you can go on to serve with whatever you would love to have it with.

Images source:

1. Navelu Msur Kevin Abaa
2. Mimidoo Senen Iyorkaa