Nigeria Moi Moi – Moin moin Recipe
Moi-moi or Moin-Moin is one of the most popular dishes in Nigeria. It’s made from pureed beans and served primarily as an accompaniment to breakfast porridge. Moi moi can also be served with a side of garri or bread. Traditional moi moi is wrapped in Banana or ewe eran leaves.
If you live outside Nigeria with no access to the right leaves or just looking to achieve some fun shapes, there are no limits to what you can use to create fun shapes. Most banking dishes will do just great when making moi moi, simply choose the shape you desire, cover with aluminum foil after pouring the batter in and place in a large body of water to steam.
Here is a picture of numerous pans that can be used:
Now on to the recipe:
Ingredients
- Black eyed beans – 1.5 cups
- Medium onion – 1/2 
 (chopped)
- Red bell pepper (Tatashe) – 1 (chopped)
- Scotch bonnet pepper (ata Rodo) –Â 1-2
- Eggs – 4Â (boil and peel 2 of the eggs )
- Ground crayfish – 1 Tablespoon
- Palm oil- 3 Tablespoons
- Melted butter (optional) – 3 Tablespoons
- Bouillon cube (Maggi) – 1
- Salt (to taste)
Other: One large loaf pan for steaming
Directions
- Prepare the beans – Pre soak beans in warm water (preferably overnight), Peel the beans,
 rinse and remove beans skin) Click here for a tutorial on how to peel beans
- Combine beans, red bell pepper, onion and and 1 cup water in a blender, blend until you have a very smooth
 batter
- Pour the batter into a large bowl, Crack the left over eggs into the batter. Set aside
- Dissolve salt, palm oil, crayfish and bouillon cube in 2 tablespoons of boiling water, set aside to cool. once cooled add to batter
- With a spatula or turning pin (omo orogun) or electric mixer- Mix the batter thorough ( this is to incorporate air into the batter and fluff the resulting moi moi. mix for about 10 minutes) . Taste and adjust for seasoning
- Add 4 cups water to a large pot, set on high heat and bring to a boil
- Oil the pan, pour half of the batter into the loaf pan, add in the sliced boiled eggs, pour in the left over batter. Cover the loaf pan tightly with some aluminum foil
- Place the batter filled loaf pan in the pot of water ( it shouldn’t be covered in water), place a tight lid over the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Steam for 45-60 minutes
– Add more water into the pan as you steam the moimoi if needed
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
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Pls how can i make small quantity of moi moi like two to come out sweet
Thanks a lot Naijafoodie. Pls where can I get your type of electric mixer the one shown their in? And how much could it cost?
Can it be used to mix the ingredients in the beans batter after grinding?
Thanks again.
Thanks a lot Naijafoodie. Pls where can I get your type of electric mixer the one shown their in? And how much could it cost?
Can it be used to mix the ingredients in the beans batter after grinding?
Thanks again.
Here is an easy way to wash your beans:
Soak black eye beans (or substitute beans) in hot water for 30mins-1hr;
Add to a blender in batches and pulse lightly, until all batches are done; and
Add water, stir, then strain off the skin that rises to the top using a colander (sieve). Repeat this step as many times as needed.
9jafoodie, I think you should qualify your cooking time, based on the portions/pan size etc. I just made a big pan of moi-moi and my cooking time was about 1.45 – 2hrs.
Thanks!
Pls is there a machine for peeling the beans?
To peel beans quickly, sock in water for one minute, drain and put in a wooden motor, with the pestle pound in a way that makes the peel come off, keep mixing and pounding until all or most of the peel comes off. Pour into a bowl of water, the peels will float on top, then u strain with a sieve leaving the peeled beans behind, continue until u remove all the peels. When soaking the beans initially do not allow it to soften just check that peels are soft enough to peel off then u drain and poundComment…
Thanks for the addition!
Wow, thanks for the recipe! Love Moimoi and I actually thought it was difficult to make. I just made this but peeled the beans partially as it took too much time. And decided to bake it in the oven. It isn’t done yet, has been in there for like an hour. But I have tasted parts that are well cooked and it is sooo yummy! I will definitely be trying out other recipes I felt were out of my league. Suya is the next project….
Hello Sisi,
Thanks for the feedback.
We have some video recipes on youtube as well.
what did i do wrong/how can I fix this problem?
I tried to make it following your directions and mine came out really soft/watery, (sad face) !!
You most likely added too much water while blending the beans.
Please reply to your email. Thanks.
I like your dishes and you are very creative. Good job and keep it up. You said we should soak the beans for 4 hours before peeling, that was what I thought too (soak your beans for a long time before peeling) until my mum told me to soak the beans for 5mins…that way you get to peel the beans faster than when compared with the ones you soak for 4hrs. Try it out you will see the difference
Thank you for the addition!
Thanks so much for your help! I am wondering if I can bake the moi moi the same way you steamed it..large loaf pan inside another loaf pan in the oven? Cooking for a large crowd tmrw for our Nigerian Independence day celebration. Thank you!
absolutely
Looks great. What heat do you leave it on during the 45-60mins?
Bake covered at 350F for 25-35 minutes or until set
I’m making mine nw .bravo sis good Lord will continually bless u
Amen o! Thank you Omolara. Hope it came out great
I too this method for a love feast yesterday and it was great, though I used groundnut oil. I was scared it would be soft but d texture was perfect. Husby that detest moi moi had to have for extra. thanks for the effort to share.
yeiii! thanks for the feedback.
My boyfriend is from Nigerian. I’m teaching myself to cook some of the native dishes he likes. This one sounds wonderful and I like the idea of the muffin pan in the oven. I will be trying this very soon. Thank you so much.
Great!! do let us know how it turns out.
Hello again! I just tried the recipe and it turned out moist after baking it. I only baked it for 22 minutes. I really think the mixing after blending is key. Your recipes are so good and have never failed me. My husband (thru me) thanks you!!!!!!!!!!
Yeiii!! you are both welcome, it’s my pleasure.
Really nice .You r a great cook :) I can already imagine how wonderful the taste would be…
Thanks! do try some recipes and let us know how they turn out
Oh my! i tried this last night . it came out great. could hear the sound of hubby scraping his plate. i did not add the butter though for health reasons. thanks alot.
yeii!! you are most welcome
How do you bake it with water using cup cake tin?
Hey, I have question about the baked moimoin. Is the water necessary? Can I just put it in the oven like that without water? You know like I’m baking a cake or is it going to burn? I just want to know the purpose of putting it in water before going into the oven.
yes, you can just bake it like cake. The added water prevents moisture loss.
Can it be baked without placing the pan in water?
Yes it can
looks yummy!, can’t wait to try this out. About how many will this serve ot how many cupcake size will this recipe make?
Thanks
About a dozen cupcakes which will serve 5-6 people
Hello. I don’t quite understand what you mean by “a loaf pan inside another loaf pan filled with water”. How will a loaf pan fit inside another loaf pan, since – if I’m right – loaf pans come with multiple holes like the cupcake pan in your picture above?
If you don’t mind, could you please take a picture of the two together and upload here, for illustration purposes, so we can see it? That way, I’ll know what type of containers I need to look for and buy.
Very nice blog, by the way.
Hi there… There are cupcake pans and then there are regular rectangular loaf pans. A cupcake pan as shown in the last picture will fit into a large size rectangular loaf pan. Please see the very first picture. Do let me know if you need further clarification.
This is for my 9ja peeps.has anyone sstartersd making moimoi and nepa takes light and your batter isn’t quite smooth yet?can you use the batter like that?
Linda dear, you turn on d gen. Your moi-moi may fall apart..
Thanks Ruth, good answer
Hahahah.. you gat to love 9ja. Let the batter rest and switch on the gen, your batter needs to be smooth for good moimoi.
I want say thank you for sharing your knowledge and showing your passion for delicious Nigerian food. I was inspired by your recipe to make moimoi again. I don’t like to make it because I don’t like the beans peeling part. Anyway, I want to share with you that I made the moimoi following your recipe but with a twist, I used red lentils instead of black eyed peas. It requires no peeling just soak beans for about 30mins for easy grinding in the blender. Whoa la! It turned out to be the best moimoi I ever made. Lentils is also lower in calories than black eyed beans.
That’s awesome. I have tried lentils in the past as well. I have also used split chickpeas and quinoa
also wanted to ask if I can use vegetable oil instead? does that change anything?
No it doesn’t, any type of oil will work.
loks so yum!!! cant wait to try this out
my moi moi did not come moist what am I doing wrong?
Did you steam the moi moi?
Ok, it did hurt my blender a little but I’m so excited! This is my first moi moi ever but it came out delish. Thanks 9ja foodie! Next recipe pls!
So is it water in a pan and the moi moi wrap in side and bake? Thank you..
yes.
Pls do you use water to bake the moi moi ? Really need to know cos am making some now…
it’s not a must. It helps though.
Hmmmmmmm looks nice and yummy going to try it
juat tried to follow ur every word and ur recipe just cost me my new blender. one n half cup of beans cannot b blended wt half cup of water
Hi Jasmine, there are tricks to blending into a thick paste. The recipe works as attested by everyone that has tried it, you do not want to use too much water as adding in eggs as well as oil liquifies the batter further later on. In the future, when trying to make a thick paste; try water and a small amount of whatever you are trying to blend. once you get a base batter, continue to add more.
Abt the big foil pans for the moi moi do you put them in d oven cus I don’t think dat can sit in a pot.
I never bake Moimoi, I always use foil pans that fit in my pot. You can steam in the oven if you have a big roasting pan.
Wow! It look so good, I av to try it out
Let us know how it turns out
Looks great. I’m trying this out ASAP.
Let us know how it turns out
Good job I just made it, and everyone is like waoooooo!
That is great! thanks for the feedback
Great job
Thanks
Awesome recipe 9jafoodie, thumbs up. Great presentation too. What i dont get is, why include palm oil, only to bleach it before use? why not just use veg oil? i think bleaching palm oil defeats the aim of using it in the first place. Just my thoughts.
I understand your point from a nutrition point of view.
The butter and palm oil combo sounds scary, but i’ll try it. When I make mine, I peel a little ginger and garlic into d washed beans and then the bones and head of the Titus fish I’ve de-boned is also also added; but I have to blend it outside with the bigger grinding machine so the fish head and bones will be smooth. Then I scoop in with cornedbeef and egg since d mix is already fishy, d fishy taste is there already; no need to add fish. Very rich in protein and calcium
Thanks for the addition. The crayfish gives the traditional fish taste as well.
I used to have d thought of pouring d whole batter of moinmoin in a big pan and steam instead of wrapping one by one,I was afraid it wouldn’t come out nice but I just used my 9″ round baking pan to make a very delicious moinmoin after getting tips from here.and I think d addition of butter to d p/oil added to d nice taste.
Glad we were able to help!
You Inspire me a lot! ur creativity, preparation and how you design is simply unique…I cant wait to try this. btw: I just ate Plantain Fufu, thanks to you…lol I’m totally getting rid of those flours they sell at the African stores.
awwwww…thanks Ruth! mehnnn… plantain fufu is the business.
Fan of Urs
Thanks Sharon
You nail it dear,try it just now it taste unqiue.fan to shrimp
I like the idea of the loaf tin will try it when I have some time.thanks for the creativity
I like the idea of the loaf tin will try it when I have some time.thanks for the creativity
You are welcome
Lovely post. what do you put in the base before the pan or did you just put it the water straight? I really need to make moi moi. But can seems to find pebbles to use as base
All you need in the pan is water.. nothing else is required.
The moinmoin looks great! But why don’t you just put the loaf pan in the oven and bake the moinmoin. I’ve come accross a recipe like that.
Moi moi should be moist and savory, baking it dries it out.
This looks yummy….am salivating ere
Thanks
Hey, I love the recipe…I’m trying it right now but I have realized that you haven’t stated when yo add te crayfish..I guess I will just add it in the batter…I am Ghanaian but I love Moi Moi.
Add it into the salt mix… let me know how it turns out!!
Looks nice…. i remember seeing moin moin been made/served from little tin/cup type things i.e smaller versions of the loaf tin. My only fear with this loaf tin is that wont the moi moin crumble while being cut up? I’d still give it a try nevertheless….
If the batter is made as specified, the moi moi will not crumble. you should try it!!
really looks good,i cant stand its charm,doesn’t look like what mama used to prepare, but i guess it taste well too.
It sure taste amazing, the only difference in the packaging/presentation.
Seriously, all I can say is wow!! Loaf tin? Being creative doesn’t get better than this rather than wait for some dried out moinmoin leaves every time I want some moin moin, the cake tins can now get busier. Well done 9jafoodie. Sincerely you rock! You really deserve some stickers hehehe :) Honestly, well done!!!
Thank you so very much!!!
So yummy!hmmmmm!can’t wait to do this!
Thanks!!
This is ridiculous. Why would you put palm oil AND butter inside moinmoin? and also crack raw eggs into the batter? lol…ok, everybody thinks they do know how to cook.
Okay.. first off, thanks for the comment. Sounds like you make your moi moi in a different way. We will be happy to know how you prepare yours :)
Dont forget we grew up in different homes if u think u can cook more start ur food chain and keep ur comments to urself. My mum taught me that way and yes it crack ur eggs into the batter ….it makes it soft and fluffy there nothing funny about it !!!!!
Thanks Bella
Cracked egg, Palm oil, butter….Who cares? It looks amazing and yummy! This is a new way to making moi moi for me but I can’t wait to try it ^^.
Thanks Momo
people make dishes in different ways… you should try being more open-minded.
This looks yummy and presented nicely…no messing around with foil or leaves. I just want to eat it now.
Thanks you!!
that looks fantastic… Babes u need to roll out some serious food chains ohhh and I can help with that……
http://lifeinstagesdoz.blogspot.com/
Thanks dear! My dear we should talk for sure.