Beans were not on the list of my favorite foods while growing up. Most persons must have felt the same way as I did, I believe.
We needed the nutrients beans gave though, luckily, beans can be transformed into many other forms that can appeal to a child’s appetite, one of those forms is our topic today – Moi Moi
Moi Moi
One of the fantastic things about this traditional Nigerian dish asides from its taste is its ability to go with various foods like fried rice, jollof rice, pap and custard, garri.
It also can be eaten as snacks with a soft drink (my personal favorite form).
Ingredients for Moi Moi
- Beans
- Onions
- Pepper
- Seasoning cubes
- Salt
- Crayfish
- Vegetable oil
- Fish, meat, egg (depending on you)
- Water
How to Prepare Moi Moi?
The preparation of every food starts with preparing your ingredients. For Moi Moi, preparing the ingredients is the most important part as nothing is done after it has gotten into the pot.
Most persons prepare their Moi Moi by peeling off the skin of the beans.
- Wash the beans and soak it for about ten to thirty minutes. After this, wash off the skin of the beans. The soaking time is determined by the type of beans you are using.
- After soaking the beans, you can either put the beans in the blender first to aid remove the skin or go straight to rubbing the beans in between the palms. Add water to this, the skin floats to the top, filter and repeat the process until you have thoroughly washed off the skin of the beans.
- Wash the onions, pepper and sieve the crayfish if it has shafts in it
- Boil the eggs and meat (beef is what is used mostly).
- Put the washed beans in your blender, together with the onions, crayfish, pepper, and blend until it is smooth. This is very important as it might not taste delicious in the mouth if it is not grounded properly.
- Put all the other ingredients in the mix. Vegetable oil first the salt, seasoning, fish, beef, chicken. Everything except the boiled eggs can be added at this point. Add warm water to make the mixture lighter as you don’t want to end up with hard Moi Moi. Mix again for about 3-5minutes so all the ingredients can mix properly.
- The next part is putting the mixture in the container of your choice. Banana leaves, aluminum foil, plastics, tins, and nylons are some of the frequently used forms of packaging.
- Wash thoroughly before use. For the leaves, fold to a cone shape.
- If you are using leaves, cut out the stalks. For others, rub a small amount of oil on the containers to avoid sticking.
- Scoop the amount you need for each container into it and carefully place your boiled egg into it before closing up
- Line the stalks at the bottom of the pot and some leaves if you are using leaves, others use woods of small sizes for other containers. The aim is to prevent burning.
- Add water to the pot and make sure it doesn’t dry up during the boiling process. Allow for 45minutes or more depending on your choice of containers. Plastics take longer to get ready when compared with leaves, foils, and nylons.
- To check if your Moi Moi is ready, use a knife or fork in it. This is supposed to come out clean. If there are stains of Moi Moi paste on them, then it’s not ready yet.
Benefits of Eating Moi Moi
Before going into some benefits of eating Moi Moi, we must talk about the benefits of the banana leaves used in packaging.
Its botanical name is Thaumatococcus danielli, and research has shown that it contains antioxidants that can cure kidney and liver diseases. Some natives of Nigeria are said to use it as a cure for malaria.
Antidotes against sedatives, venoms, diabetics, and insanity are also said to be contained in its leaf sap.
- Since beans are the primary ingredient for Moi Moi, we all know it will give the same nutrients.
- Other ingredients like water, oil, fish, meat, and onions also give us various nutrients needed by our body.
- For those who are Moi Moi lovers, you can attest that a small quantity is enough to make you filled, reducing appetite.
- Beans’ skin is said to contain insulin. So making Moi Moi without peeling off the skin is very good for people with diabetes.
Next time you are eating this, you remember it’s not just for its taste but the nutrients and benefits you get from it. Enjoy!
