Moinmoin is a Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

n steamed bean pudding

Pudding

Pudding most often refers to a dessert, but it can also be a savory dish.In the United States, pudding characteristically denotes a sweet milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, though it may also refer to other types such as bread and rice pudding.In the United Kingdom and...

 made from a mixture of washed and peeled black-eyed beans, onions and fresh ground peppers (usually a combination of bell peppers and chilli

Chili pepper

Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...

 or scotch bonnet

Scotch bonnet

Scotch Bonnet, also known as Boabs Bonnet, Scotty Bons, Bonney peppers, or Caribbean red peppers is a variety of chili pepper. Found mainly in the Caribbean islands and also in Guyana and the Maldives Islands and west Africa, it is named for its resemblance to a Tam o'shanter hat. Most Scotch...

). It is advisable not to add tomatoes as this prevents the ingredients from forming a gelatinous end product. It is a protein-rich food that is a staple in Nigeria. Some adaptations also put apples in MoinMoin. It originated from South-west Nigeria of the Yoruba people.

Moin moin is prepared by first soaking the beans in cold water until they are soft enough to remove the fine outer covering or peel. Then they are ground or blended (using a blender

Blender

A blender is a kitchen appliance for chopping or liquefying food.Blender may also refer to:Media:* Blender , a music-themed magazine* Blender , a free and open-source software program for 3D modeling, animation, and rendering...

) until a fine paste is achieved. Salt

Salt

In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...

, bouillon cube

Bouillon cube

A bouillon cube [ˈbuːjɒn kjuːb] or stock cube is dehydrated bouillon or stock formed into a small cube about 15 mm wide. It is made by dehydrating vegetables, meat stock, a small portion of fat, salt and seasonings and shaping them into a small cube...

 (such as Maggi

Maggi

Maggi is a Nestlé brand of instant soups, stocks, bouillon cubes, ketchups, sauces, seasonings and instant noodles. The original company came into existence in 1872 in Switzerland, when Julius Maggi took over his father's mill. It quickly became a pioneer of industrial food production, aiming at...

 or Knorr

Knorr

Knorr is a German food and beverage brand owned by the Anglo-Dutch company Unilever since 2000, when Unilever acquired Best Foods. It produces dehydrated soup mixes and condiments. The only country where Unilever did not have rights to the Knorr name is Japan, where trademark of the product there...

 and/or glutamate seasoning), dried crayfish

Crayfish

Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related...

, vegetable oil (or any edible oil such as palm oil) and other seasonings are added to taste. Some add sardines, corned beef

Corned beef

Corned beef is a type of salt-cured beef products present in many beef-eating cultures. The English term is used interchangeably in modernity to refer to three distinct types of cured beef:...

, sliced boiled eggs, or a combination of these and other 'garnishes' to liven up moin moin. Such is referred to as having 'x' number of lives, 'x' representing the number of garnishes added. The most touted is "moin moin elemi meje", which translates to moin moin with 7 lives.

Moin moin usually comes in a slanted pyramid shape or a cylindrical shape, owing to the mold it is poured into prior to cooking. The pyramid shape comes from the traditional broad "ewe eran" (Thaumatococcus daniellii

Thaumatococcus daniellii

Thaumatococcus daniellii is a species of tropical flowering plant known for being the natural source of thaumatin, an intensely sweet protein which is of interest in the development of sweeteners. It is a large, rhizomatous, flowering herb native to the rainforests of Ghana and surrounding African...

) or banana leaves

Banana leaf

Banana leaf is the leaf of the Banana plant. It is used for various functions, such as for decorative elements, wrappings, plate mat, and employed in cooking method....

 fashioned into a cone in one's palm, then the seasoned and garnished liquid is poured into the leaves, which is then folded.

The cylindrical shapes come from empty cans of tomato sauce used in preparation of other dishes. Once placed in its mold, it is placed in a large pot about a tenth filled with water. The water is the source of steam that cooks the moin moin. Moin moin is eaten alone or with bread as a snack, with rice as a meal or with ogi (corn or millet porridge) for breakfast or supper. it can also be taken with garri

Garri

Garri is a popular West African food made from cassava tubers. The spelling 'garri' is mainly used in Nigeria, Cameroon, Sierra Leone and 'gari' in Ghana....

in the afternoon.

External links

• Moimoin recipe
• https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/6705/1/jb06075.pdf
• Visual Cookbook of African Foods African recipes illustrated