How To Prepare Moin-Moin In Nylon

Moin-moin is a Nigerian delicacy that is common to the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria. You make it by steaming or boiling bean (black-eyed bean) pudding and combining it with onions, pepper, and other ingredients depending on preference. Moi Moi is a rich source of protein and can be of high nutritional value to the body.

While it may sound and look strange to many countries outside of the African continent, it is a lovely and nutritious food to try. Some people might find the process of making Moi Moi rather tedious and time-consuming, but the end product will always compensate for the hard work.
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You may serve Moin-moin alongside other foods or it can be eaten on its own.  It is best eaten with ogi (pap), a fermented and boiled cereal pudding, rice or with bread. There may be other combinations and accompaniments but due to nutrition factors, it is advisable to stick to rice, ogi (pap) or bread. Moi Moi is a rich source of protein containing about 6-8 grams per serving. It is a good balance to consume with food containing carbohydrates.

Ingredients needed for the preparation of Moin-Moin

• 1 cup (165 grams) of Dry Beans – Black-Eyed Beans or Brown Beans-”Ewa Oloyin” as it is called in Nigeria
• 1 Red Bell Pepper/Tatashe – medium size (or any available fresh pepper)
• 2 large Onions
• Half cube of Fish Stock
• ¼ cup (60 ml) Vegetable Oil
• 2 cubes of Maggi
• ¾ cup (110 grams) Cooked Minced Fish
• 3 hard boiled eggs
• Salt to taste

Now you have all your ingredients, the next thing to know is how to peel of the bean skin (dehulling).

How to Prepare the Beans(dehulling)

To peel the beans faster, you can use a food processor. Here’s how:

1. Soak the beans for about 20 minutes
2. Drain and pour the soaked beans into the food processor
3. Pulse a couple of times to remove the skin
4. Pour the beans into a large bowl. Add enough water to cover the beans
5. Swirl all around till the skin floats, then pour off the skin
6. Repeat the process a couple of times until all the skin has come off.

You can also use the manual method

In the absence of a food processor you can also use the manual process which will involve you using your hands to dehull.

Just like dehulling using the food processor method and steps, all steps are the same except this time your hands are used to scrub the bean out of the skin. It is easy to just scrub the beans together with your hands, creating a friction that forcefully removes the skin and leaves you with your bean. Remember you repeat the process for a couple of times until you can see the beans are skinless.

Instruction on Preparation of Moin-Moin

1. Soak the Beans for about 20-25 minutes depending on how dry your beans are. (The drier Beans tend to be ready for peeling faster than the less dried Beans.)
2. Pour the Beans in the Blender and add twice as much water as the Beans (by volume). Blend the Beans for 3-4 seconds per time and repeat this 3 to 4 times – remember we are peeling the Beans and not blending them.
3. Pour the Beans back into a large bowl and add enough water to fully cover them. Now agitate the Beans with your fingers and the skin will float off. Quickly separate the skin from the Beans by pouring through a sieve.
4. Once that is done, pour the peeled Beans (the skinless Beans) into a Blender, together with the Red Pepper, Habanero, and Onion.  Blend to the smoothest consistency you can get.
5. Combine the blended mixture with the remaining ingredients except for the boiled Eggs.
6. (a) Spray or brush the container you will be using with oil. Pour the mixture into the container and place the boiled egg over it. Cover it with a lid or seal with foil paper. (b) You can also use a small piece of nylon, depending on what is available. Put the egg, whole or divided, into the nylon and pour the blended beans inside.
7. Line the base of a large pot with either foil paper, sticks or leaves. Add sufficient water to the pot – just enough not to submerge the Moi Moi balls. This is to prevent the Moi Moi from sticking to the base of the pot in case the water dries up before the Moin-Moin has cooked.
8. Arrange the Moi Moi in the pot and cook until done. This should take about 45 minutes to 1 hour, a little more or less depending on the quantity of the Moi Moi mixture in each container, and also the heat provided.
9. To check for when it’s done, insert a toothpick or skewer into the middle of the Moi Moi. The toothpick or skewer should come out fairly clean and not wet.
10. Remove from heat and serve.

You might be fortunate enough to be able to buy the more unusual ingredients  your local independent shops. If, however, you have difficulty obtaining any of the items, follow the highlighted links to buy online.