Vegan Moin Moin

As I have really dived deep into West African cooking, one thing has become very clear. West African cuisine is really suited for vegans. I cannot continue to count how many accidentally vegan recipes I have come across, how many of these recipes use plant based protein and how many of these can be easily modified to make vegan. So many yumms and wins. This recipe is a plant-based friendly recipe for a popular Nigerian snack known as moin moin, a bean based snack made from cowpeas.

Before I get into the meat of this recipe (don’t worry no animal was harmed in the making of this joke), I would like to mention that this is a recipe I have always admired from afar but never really made the commitment to dive in and try. It always seemed daunting especially making sure it comes out right. I also did not grow up on Nigerian food so I felt I needed far more research and support when it came to this recipe

What is Moin Moin

Moin Moin is a Nigerian bean cake that is made from peeled black eye peas, red pepper and some spices. Usually people mix in crayfish for a fishy, salty, umami taste but I will be opting out of this option. Some also place an egg in the middle which we will be opting out of. The moin moin is also traditionally steamed in leaves to impart a nice flavour to the moin moin, but these leaves are hard to find outside of Nigeria. However, many also use ramekins and small tin cups to steam because those can help hold the shape well.

Regardless of what it is made in, the dish is actually super easy to make and can be a great high protein snack. They are also perfect to meal prep and perfect for lunch boxes.I think it also speaks to how recipes like this can show how plant based friendly other cultural foods are.

What Do You Need To Make Moin Moin

• Black Eye Peas: in Nigeria, they have a variety called honey beans, which are easier to peel. I have seen many use black eye peas.
• Aromatics: To add flavour and colour, we will be using red bell pepper and onion. The bell pepper gives the moin moin its appealing orange colour and the onions add an additional sweetness
• Spices: To make sure there is enough flavour in this recipe, we will be including curry spices, garlic and onion powder and paprika for a hint of spice
• Miso: I always like to add miso to give an umami flavour

How to make Moin Moin

• Soak the beans overnight and peel the beans
  • To peel the beans, you will need to wash the beans and fill the bowl with a lot of water. To get the skin off, all you need to do is rub the beans between your palms and it should come apart. Keep dunking the beans in the water, fill it up with more water and the skin should float up, you can decant the water with the skin off into a strainer and repeat by refilling the bowl with water, rubbing the beans between your palms till all the skin comes off. If you want a more in-depth tutorial, my friend Fati has a post all about peeling beans (click here)
• Blend the beans with the spices and water to create a smooth batter
• Pour the batter in a bowl, add a little bit more water to thin out and whisk to add air to the batter: it makes it soft and light
• Portion the batter into well oiled ramekins, place in baking tray filled with water and cover the baking tray with tin foil
• Bake in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Let it cool completely so that it sets well. Then, use a knife to run around the perimeter of the moin moin to release from the ramekin

Additional Notes

• You can definitely customize your moin moin by adding in some fix-ins to make it tasty
• You can add some fresh veggies like peppers and carrots
• I also love adding some vegan sausage, vegan cheese and olives

Print Recipe

Moin Moin (Vegan)

Snacks – Nigerian

By Afia – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes – Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry cowpeas (honey beans are best because they are easier to peel but black eye peas work fine)
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 tsp each garlic and onion powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp miso
• 1 tsp veggie broth powder
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 cup water
• salt to taste

Instructions

1

Soak the beans overnight

2

The next morning, preheat the oven to 350°F

3

Peel the beans the next day (please refer to the notes above for specific peeling instructions)

4

Once peeled, blend all the ingredients with only 3/4 cup of water. Reserve the 1/4 cup for later

5

Pour the batter into a bowl and whisk in the 1/4 cup of water. Whisk for a few minutes to aerate the batter

6

Portion out the moin moin into the ramekins, filling it 3/4 of the way. The moin moin will expand so you will need space for it to do so

7

Place in a deep baking tray with about an inch high with water

8

Cover the entire baking tray with aluminum foil and place in the oven to bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes

9

Once the time has passed, remove the baking tray from the oven, remove the foil and remove the ramekins from the tray

10

Set the ramekins aside and let it cool completely. This allows the moin moin to set properly. if you remove it too early it will be a mushy mess

Notes

I used 3 1/2 inch wide and 2 1/2 inch tall ramekins. The batter filled four ramekins. If you choose to use smaller ramekins, you can steam for less time (no less than 1 hour), just make sure that a toothpick comes out clean

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