Quinoa Moimoi with Custard
The lovely Ify odunlami posted a picture of Quinoa moi moi on so you think you can cook about a week ago, I was super excited to try it out. I started eating quinoa a couple of months ago, my first attempt at making it was very similar to this couscous experiment.
So what is quinoa you ask?
“Quinoa, a species of goosefoot, is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the true grass family” – Wikipedia
Quinoa is marketed as a “Super Food” with magical health benefits, before we present it as such; we did some research comparing quinoa to good old black eyed beans. Here is what we found:
On all accounts, regular beans is a more nutritious alternative , quinoa is however a much easier choice for moi-moi because there is no hulling (peeling) required. You can definitely use quinoa as a substitute for white or even brown rice and pasta, but it should not replace beans in your diet.
Question for all the nutritionists out there
If you are with the “Gluten free” crowed, interested in experimenting or simply curious about Quinoa please try the recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 red bell pepper (Tatashe)
- ¼ medium onion
- 3 eggs (1 hardboiled, 2 raw)
- 2 table spoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon each (Thyme and ginger powder)
- Salt to taste
Other:
- Aluminum pan or ramekins for steaming
Directions:
- Soak the raw quinoa in warm water for 12hours. Rinse and run cold water over it until the entire soapy residue has been washed away
- Combine washed Quinoa, red pepper and onion in a blender. Add in ½ cup water, puree to a fine paste
- Pour the batter into a large bowl. Add in the 2 raw eggs, olive oil, seasoning and salt. Whisk until all ingredients are well incorporated
- Pour the batter into an oiled steaming pan, add in the boiled egg. Steam for 40mins
I used Breville food steamer and baking dishes
Serve Quinoa moi moi warm with pap, custard or bread. Enjoy!
Health Information: If you follow our recipe as is, this dish will serves 4 people. There are approximately 280 calories per serving.
Very good afternoon everyone. Please I was advised to replace rice with quinoa but from what I am seeing here, it’s equivalent to beans not rice or can it be Cooked like rice either ways? Help please
Hats off to you for this “moi moi”. It was he exact texture i always strive for in regular moi moi.
i have an ulcer and doctor ask me to stay away from beans. What can i sudstitute for beans?
Is it beans or all legumes?
Thanks for that wonderful presentation on the alternative to beans. However, I find it difficult to drift from the beans recipe of moimoi which we were nurtured with.
I love moimoi but I am always discouraged with the dark color I usually get after the preparation. How can I achieve the resultant peachy colour of moimoi I ?
Thank you
Sorry. Didn’t use ginger powder and thyme.
This is just the best. I soaked the quinoa for much longer and I put more oil than the recipe said. These actions weren’t intentional. However, it came out perfect. I’m so excited, it’s made my Easter. Even without the hard-boiled egg.lol. Thank you ma.
haha! you’re welcome. Glad it worked out for you.
Hello 9ja foodie. Thank you for this recipe.
Please can I use small transparent water proof in place of Aluminum foil/pan?
I don’t know QUINOA and where can i get it? how does it look like. Thanks
Lovely post. i would love to try it. Please where can i get quinoa in abuja and what is it called locally.
check your local supermarket or health food store.
Please where can I get quinoa and the Yoruba name for it
pls is quinoa availabe in the local market pls, thanks
love your post. Pls if quinoa is not acha as you said, then what is it?
Quinoa is a different grain. Acha is fonio. They can be prepared in similar fashions.
9jafoodie, I appreciate your efforts. Been researching quinoa & following the discussion.If quinoa is not acha as you said, then what is it?
Hello 9jafoodie,
I’d like to try this recipe today. If I use aluminum square pans, do I use leaves to cover it or the paper covers? How do I steam them? Oven tray with water or in a pot? Please let me know. Thanks.
Hi Dayo, This post provides directions https://www.9jafoodie.com/2011/07/moin-moin-2/
Thank you!!! I made this today and walahi, for the first time ever, I can say my “moin moin” ‘le’! Oooh lawd! Just the perfect consistency and of course, without the gas associated with using beans. I will be doing my moin moin this way. I modified it a little by adding maggi crayfish and dry pepper. It turned out really good!
Please where can i get quinoa to buy in the mainland?
Help anyone? Ikeja Shoprite most likely
Please what is lentils called in Nigeria ooo
Fantastic work btw
Thank you
You can also use lentils to make moi moi, you don’t have to soak it at all, just wash and blend. I find it tastes almost exactly like moi moi made with beans
I will try with lentil! thanks for the suggestion
Please where can i find lentils in Lagos? and what is it called in our markets?
please how do we tell the difference between quinoa and acha. and you still didn’t tell where quinoa can be gotten in lagos.
so fresh food market, shoprite.
Where can one get quinoa and bulgur wheat in lagos?
Please can quinoa moi moi be wrapped with leaves just like we wrap the regular moi moi from beans?
yes it can
do we have different types of quinoa because if its acha the onec we have here in abuja and kaduna just needs washing to remove the sand
Fonio (Acha) and quinoa are different grains.
@ Solara Knight. Thanks for giving the local name. I have a big bag of acha brought from the north for me and I was about to return it to Nigeria because I dont know what it is. I suspected it to be quinoa but when I compared i,t quinoa that i have here seems bigger so i gave it up.
is there any other kind of food aside from the regular rice,beans,sawllow and yam we are accustomed to in Nigeria
You can get quinoa at Park n shop in VI. I have bought packets from there several times
good day please where can i get quinoa in lagos
We don’t know but we can ask around.
I will make this tonight and let you know how it turned out.
Nice post.. But is there anywhere one can get Quinoa in Lagos. Have been trying to get it for a long time.
Quinoa is locally called Acha.. Especially found in the North Abuja (wuse market)
Pls what’s quinoa called locally and where can I find it?
Thank you for the hard work of coming up with alternative dishes. I have been trying to low carb but it’s so difficult with Naija dishes. This is great as I am already familiar with quinoa. Thanks again, I will try it!
tried it!! it’s actually really good!!! thank you
but must i soak the quinoa for 12 hours?
yes! you need it to thoroughly soften. it’s easier to just soak it overnight.
Good morning, where can I get quinoa in Lagos State? Will appreciate your reply
I have gluten intolerance. Am delighted quinoa does not have gluten. Please where can I find quinoa bread.
I have never come across strictly quinoa bread.
Wao! Quinoa moi moi tasted fantastic as a matter of fact better than beans moi moi. Most importantly for me, no digestive disturbances such as cramps and flatulence as it is in beans. Quinoa moi moi here I come…… God blessnyou for sharing this life saving information.
Very interesting… Surprising recipe… A strict gluten free det is the way to the future. Question: Is quinoa sold in Nigeria(lagos) if so, where? Thanks for sharing
This is absolutely goorgeous…. Beautifully presented and what a great alternative to the grinding work of washing the beans. Please how did you get that shape.? I will so love to Impress my oyibo pal who thought that moin moin looked like cat food. Definitely not when presented like this.
Hello Maril,
Thanks for the compliment. I used a a star shaped baking dish.
This came out great. It honestly tasted better than beans . Thanks for the recipe
whoop! glad you enjoyed it.
9jafoodie SydFre
Thanks for clarifying that bit.
@Sisiekomi Thanks!!! let us know how it turns out
SydFre I remember when i was much younger my aunt made moi moi by simply soaking and blending , it was a lot more filling. Unfortunately I am not sure about the hulling effect, it will definitely affect the fiber content but I am sure by how much.
To answer your question, I did not account for hulling in my comparison.
I really hope this does not go unanswered; nonetheless, thank you for all these contributions here. it will help me a lot with providing reference to my friends and family back home.
I just recently started questioning the “true nutritional value” of moi-moi given that it is typically required that the husk/skin of the beans be removed for what I suppose is more appealing edibility. I have even started experimenting with just soaking and blending/milling the whole beans for moi-moi that I have served my family over the past month. one thing I did find out tho was that the ‘skin’ seemed to cause it to need more heat (i typically bake my moi-moi ‘to steam’) and also less portions for better heat penetration. i have not perfected this recipe yet, but so far, it has been just as good as the regular peeled-skin ones i’ve made in the past, and just as tasteful–if not better. it also feels slightly fuller in the mouth as I have observed myself.
my ultimate question here is, did the above comparison account for the removed skin of the moi-moi beans as it is being directly compared to quinoa that would not need so much peeling of any skins. in other words, if you can help enlighten us, what is the “true nutritional value” of the same amount of the same beans noted above when the skin (that is rich in fiber) is gone–if the above did not account for that for the moi-moi?
Thanks again for helping us, both here in the US and back home, make better dietary choices.
I am loving your food presentation. I recently found about quinoa in my quest to eating healthy. I am trying to find alternatives to carbohydrates especially rice, and quinoa came up as an alternative.
I will definately try out this recipe.
Wao…this is beautiful will definitely try it. Thanks for sharing…GBU
You are welcome. please let us know how is turns out.
I choose this over beans moi moi from now on. calories or no calorie, beans gives me serious gas no matter how long i soak it for. Will try this, and if no gas aftermath then i am a convert…..but this is nice…
Good luck! keep us posted
Thanks for comparing the two, I’ve been hearing a lot about quinoa. and now I’m more informed. Thanks for recipe too.
You are welcome!!
Job weldone for detailed info on the duo.This is only for creative minds who like To Challenge their traditional cooking skills.I love your presentation tio…….
Thank you!
I believe moi moi made from bean have less calories for those who are counting their caloric intake. :0 Just saying.
As we pointed out in the writeup, beans has fewer calories. If you make moi moi with palm oil, it will have lots more calories than what we have presented.
It aint moin moin if beans isn’t in the recipe!
Says who?
Very good afternoon everyone. Please I was advised to replace rice with quinoa but from what I am seeing here, it’s equivalent to beans not rice or can it be Cooke’s like rice either-or white which stew? Help