Moi Moi

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Ingredients

• 2 Cups Nigerian brown or white beans (peeled)
• 1 Red bell pepper/tatashe
• 1 Habanero
• 2 Onions (one thinly sliced, the other cut up roughly for blending)
• 5g fresh ginger (optional)
• 2 Tablespoon ground crayfish
• 1½ tsp salt (you can you up ¼ - ½ tsp more, but this is perfect for me)
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 6 eggs (optional)
• Smoked mackerel (little pieces, optional)
• 2 cups water
• ½ teaspoon chili powder (you can add more if you like spicy, after blending)

Instructions

1. I like to soak the beans for 10 minutes and use a food processor with dough hook to peel the beans. If peeling by hand, do not soak beans otherwise it gets too slippery. Peel the beans and strain off all the peels.
2. There are different ways to steam the moi moi, you can boil water in a large pot, and cook moi moi in metal or heat proof bowls, moi moi leaves or aluminium foil. Or you can steam it in the oven, set a large tray of water in the bottom of the oven to create steam(this is optional, you can also bake it in a dry oven), pour batter in oven safe containers, metal is preferred and bake covered lightly by aluminium foil. Set moi moi on a tray in the middle of the oven. If using a pot, start heating the water now. Or preheat oven to 180˚C and set tray of water to create steam. Do not fill bowls with batter, the beans will expand during cooking, 3/4 filled is fine.
3. Some people boil the eggs and throw into the moi moi, I do not do this anymore since the eggs turn out very hard. I pour the cracked egg into a little well I make in the batter. If you prefer whole boiled eggs, boil your eggs now.
4. Do not crowd your blender so its better to blend in two batches with 1 cup of water each, this water is really enough. Blend together, the beans, roughly chopped onions, bell pepper, habanero, crayfish, salt, ginger and chili powder.
5. Turn out the batter into a large mixing bowl
6. Heat up the vegetable till almost smoking and fry the sliced onions, till brown (they add a really nice flavour to the moi moi)
7. Pour the hot vegetable oil into the beans batter and mix in well. Taste the batter and adjust seasoning (I swear, it is safe to do so). Add pieces of mackerel (if using) and mix well.
8. Grease your containers before filling with moi moi batter so it does not stick.
9. Pour moi moi batter into containers, add boiled egg or make a well and pour your cracked eggs individually on top.
10. Cook in the pot or bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes. I cooked in six aluminium foils, if you make smaller portions, it will cook faster.
11. Enjoy, delicious fluffy moi moi with rice, garri, pap, fish, salad or custard.