Moi Moi
Moi moi is a Nigerian steamed bean pudding, usually enriched with palm oil, eggs, and dried fish, then wrapped in leaves and steamed for an hour. Stripped back to the beans, it still works, because pureed black-eyed peas set firm all by themselves once the skins are removed and the batter is steamed long enough. The red pepper and onion go into the blender raw, the habanero brings the expected heat, and a spoon of smoked paprika gives back some of the color and depth the oil once carried. Peel the peas well and beat air into the batter, and it comes out light rather than heavy.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Black-eyed peas, dried
- 1 Bell pepper, red, seeded and chopped
- 1 Yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 Habanero, seeded
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tsp no-salt vegetable bouillon
Method
- Soak the black-eyed peas in cold water for at least 1 hour, then rub them hard between your palms under water. The papery skins float off and the peas sink. Skimming the skins is what gives moi moi its smooth, set texture instead of a grainy one.
- Drain the peeled peas and blend them with the red pepper, onion, habanero, smoked paprika, no-salt bouillon, and about 1.5 cups (360 ml) water. Blend to a completely smooth, pourable batter, roughly the thickness of pancake batter.
- Beat the batter hard with a spoon for a minute, or pulse it once more. Whipping air in is the traditional step that lets the pudding rise and set light rather than dense. Smoked paprika stands in for the red color palm oil usually brings.
- Divide the batter among 6 ramekins or heatproof cups, filling each about three-quarters full to leave room for rise.
- Set the cups in a steamer or in a wide pot on a rack above 1 inch (2.5 cm) of simmering water. Cover and steam over medium heat until firm and set, 50 to 60 minutes. A thin knife slid into the center should come out clean. The bean starch and protein set on their own with no egg to bind them, so the steam has to do the whole job.
- Let the cups rest 10 minutes before unmolding, since the pudding firms further as it cools. Serve warm with brown rice, or cold the next day, when the flavor deepens.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 180 calories, 12 g protein, 8 g fiber, 45 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
