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Home / Types / African Recipes

Moi Moi Recipe

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Author: Imma Published:2/16/2024Updated:2/16/2024
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Moi Moi Recipe – This flavorful savory pudding made with skinless black-eyed peas is a classic comfort food with Nigerian roots. It’s soft yet hearty and filling and boasts just the right amount of heat. Get ready to enjoy some international fare that is beyond delicious! 🤩

Freshly made Moi Moi in ramekins and in banana leaves for African comfort food

If you’ve been around the blog for a while, you know I love me some black-eyed peas. So, it’s no surprise that I love moi moi (or mai mai as we call it in Cameroon) is another dish I love. Amaze your guests with a fun twist on black-eyed peas they might not have tried before.

Plus, once you get the hang of making them, they’re incredibly easy to whip up. They freeze well, too, so you can easily double or triple the recipe. Store them in your freezer for a couple of months, and enjoy them at your leisure. 😉

Content…

What Is It?
Recipe Ingredients
How to Make It
Recipe Variations
Tips and Tricks
Make-Ahead Instructions
Serving and Storage Instructions
What to Serve
More Amazing African Dishes to Try
Watch How to Make It

Slicing into insanely delicious Moi Moi to reveal eggs and smoked fish

What Is Moi Moi?

Moi Moi is a dish with several aliases: Moin-Moin, Moyin-Moyin, or Mai-Mai. It’s a flavorful blend of steamed skinless black-eyed peas, onions, green, and habanero pepper. The end result is a delightful and hearty pudding with intense flavor and the potential for hidden treasures, depending on your taste buds.

You can tuck corned beef, boiled eggs, smoked fish, or smoked meat into them. Serve them as breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack – moin moin tastes amazing any time of day.

Recipe Ingredients

Moi Moi Recipe Ingredients
  1. Black-Eyed Peas – The star of the show, black-eyed peas, gives these little bean puddings their smooth texture and unique, almost nutty flavor. 
  2.  Veggies – Onion, red bell pepper, and habanero pepper are pureed into the mix for flavor, color, and heat. 
  3.  Seasonings – White pepper, paprika, and bouillon powder add depth of flavor to an already flavorful assortment of fresh ingredients. Optionally, you can add ground crayfish, which adds some extra flavor and makes the moi moi a brighter red/pink color.
  4. Canola Oil – A generous amount of oil contributes to the moi moi’s smooth texture, making it something akin to a tamale. 
  5.  Toppers – You can enhance them further by topping them with boiled eggs, smoked fish, or smoked meat.

How to Make Moi Moi

Soak and peel the black-eyed peas

Peel the Black-Eyed Peas

  • Presoak – Place beans in a bowl, add water to cover them and soak them for about 15 minutes. (Photo 1)
  • Process – Transfer beans to a blender or food processor. Pulse about 5 times for about 3 seconds each to break the peas. Do this in small batches. (Photo 2-3)
  • Peel – Put the black-eyed peas in water and rub them between your hands to remove the skins. Most skins will float to the top, so you can pour them off into a colander. You may have to do this process several times. (Photo 4)
  • Sort – Most of the skin will come off the peas. Sort through the remaining beans to remove all the skin. You can do this ahead and freeze them to save time later.
Puree black-eyed peas and vegetables
Add oil, seasonings, and crayfish

Make the Black-Eyed Pea Pudding

  • Soak beans in water for at least an hour or overnight to make blending easier. Drain and proceed. (Photo 5)
  • Puree – Put soaked black-eyed peas, onion, bell peppers, and habanero peppers with a cup or more of water or stock in a food processor or blender and puree until completely smooth. You may have to do this in two to three batches. (Photos 6-8)
  • Add Oil – Pour the mixture into a large bowl, then add oil and mix well. (Photo 9)
  • Season – In a small bowl, combine salt, bouillon powder, pepper, and paprika with some water. Add this spice mix and your crayfish to the ground beans and mix well. (Photos 10-12)
  • Adjust – Make sure you have used up all the water and adjust the seasoning to taste.
  • Prep Ramekins – Lightly oil (or use a vegetable oil spray) six (6-ounce) ramekins (baking cups) and set them into a large baking dish. You can also use a small baking dish instead of ramekins.
  • Fill Ramekins – Pour mixture into ramekins about ¾ full. Add a boiled egg and or smoked fish. Proceed with either the stovetop or baking method. (Photos 13-14)
Pouring moi moi into a ramekin and adding a boiled egg to steam on the stovetop

Stovetop Instructions

  • Prep Steamer – Pour about half an inch of water into the bottom of a large saucepan. Then, put something like a steamer to raise the moin moin off the bottom of the pot.
  • Steam – Gently place the ramekins in the steamer, cover them with a lid, and let them steam for about 45 minutes to an hour. Add a little water as needed to prevent it from drying out completely.
  • Cool – Let your moi moi cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Baking Instructions

  • Prep Oven – Before blending the beans, preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Adjust oven rack to center position.
  • Prep Steamer – Gently place ramekins in the large baking pan. Carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
  • Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1-1½ hours.
  • Cool – Let them cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Making moi moi with banana leaves

Banana Leaf Instructions

  • Prep Steamer – Pour about half an inch of water into the bottom of a Dutch oven or large pot. Then, put a steamer or a few banana leaves to raise the moi moi off the bottom of the pot.
  • Prep Banana Leaves – Using small to medium-sized banana leaves, double up the leaves and fold them to make a funnel. Gentle fold back to the bottom of your funnel.
  • Pour about ½ cup of moi moi batter into the leaf funnel and add the boiled egg and/or smoked fish. Then, gently twist the top of the funnel and fold it back firmly. Make sure to seal it well so there’s no leakage. (Photo 13)
  • Steam – Place the bean pudding on the steamer or banana leaves and close the pot. Let it steam for about 45 minutes to an hour, adding a little water every 5-10 minutes to prevent it from burning or drying out. (Photos 14-16)
  • Cool – Let your pudding cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Unwrapping Moi Moi steamed in banana leaves with black-eyed pea pudding in ramekins in the background

Recipe Variations

  1. No ramekins? No problem! Cook this dish in a regular old casserole dish, using the same water bath technique you would use for the smaller containers. Slice the bigger black-eyed pea pudding before serving. 
  2.  Get creative with the toppers. Boiled eggs are a classic, but you can really put anything you think will taste good on top. Corned beef, bacon, jalapeno slices, smoked brisket, or smoked fish are all tasty ideas. 
  3.  Add tomato. Some people like to add a can of diced or pureed tomatoes to the puree for an extra layer of flavor, so feel free to do the same! You may need to use less water or oil in this case. 🍅

Tips and Tricks

  1. Some ethnic stores sell pre-peeled black-eyed peas! Peeled beans are an excellent option to save a few minutes. You can usually find them in the freezer section.
  2.  The best part about this dish is the utterly smooth texture. My advice? Puree the ingredients a few more minutes than you might think necessary. Grainy moi moi isn’t nearly as tasty.
  3.  Check the water level frequently when cooking! If the water runs dry in your pot or baking sheet, you’ll likely end up with burnt/dry pudding. That would be a real shame. 😟

Make-Ahead Instructions

Moi moi freezes exquisitely! Freeze it for up to 3 months, and then thaw it in the fridge the night before you want to serve it.

To reheat individual puddings, either wrap them in a damp paper towel and give them a minute or two in the microwave or use your oven. Wrap them in aluminum foil if you go the oven route to keep them from drying out. Set it to about 400℉ (205℃) and let them warm up for about 10 minutes. 

Slicing into soul-satisfying Moi Moi steamed in banana leaves for extra goodness

Serving and Storage Instructions 

Serve moi moi warm as soon as it has a chance to cool. Refrigerate leftover moin moin in an airtight container and reheat as indicated above.

What Goes With Moi Moi

Moi moi typically goes with steamy rice, Jollof rice, garri, or homemade bread. You can also enjoy it on its own as a delicious and nutritious snack. Whenever I have it for a snack, I enjoy it with a refreshing drink like mango juice or sorrel drink. 🍹

More Amazing African Dishes to Try

  1. Cabbage Egusi Soup
  2.  Chin Chin
  3.  African Fish Roll
  4.  Njama Njama and FuFu
  5.  Black Eyed Peas Fritters

Watch How to Make It

This blog post was originally published in September 2014 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.

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Unwrapping Moi Moi steamed in banana leaves with black-eyed pea pudding in ramekins in the background
Print

Moi Moi Recipe

This flavorful savory pudding made with skinless black-eyed peas is a classic comfort food with Nigerian roots. It's soft yet hearty and filling and boasts just the right amount of heat. Get ready to enjoy some international fare that is beyond delicious!
4.67 from 3 votes
Prep: 20 minutes mins
Cook: 1 hour hr
Total: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
African
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 2 cups black-eyed peas
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 2 habanero peppers (to taste)
  • 3 cups water or low-sodium stock
  • 1½ teaspoons salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon bouillon powder (or sub with salt)
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • ¼ cup ground crayfish (optional)
  • 2 cups smoked fish
  • 3 boiled eggs, halved or quartered

Instructions

How to Peel Black-Eyed Peas

  • Place the black-eyed peas in a bowl, add water to cover, and soak them for about 15 minutes.
  • Drain and transfer them to a blender or food processor. Pulse about 5 times for about 3 seconds each to break the peas. Do this in small batches.
  • Put the black-eyed peas in water and rub them between your hands to remove the skins. Most of the skins will float to the top so you can pour them off through a colander. You might have to do this several times.
  • Most of the skins will come off. Sort through the remaining beans to remove all the skin. You can do this ahead and freeze them to save time later.
  • In a large bowl, soak the beans in warm water for at least two hours but up to 24 hours. Drain and proceed.

Peeled Black Eyed Peas

  • Soak beans in water for at least an hour or overnight to make blending easier. Drain and proceed.
  • Put soaked black-eyed peas, onion, bell peppers, and habanero peppers with a cup or more of stock or water in a food processor or blender and puree until completely smooth. You may have to do this in two to three batches.
  • Pour the pea mixture into a large bowl, add oil, and mix well.
  • In a small bowl, mix salt, bouillon powder, pepper, and paprika with some water. Add this spice mix and your crayfish to the ground beans and mix well.
  • Make sure you have used up all the water and adjust the seasoning to taste.
  • Lightly oil (or use a vegetable oil spray) six (6-ounce) ramekins (baking cups) and arrange them in a large baking dish. A small baking dish also works instead of ramekins.
  • Pour mixture into ramekins about ¾ full. Add a boiled egg and or smoked fish. Proceed with either the stovetop or baking method.

Stovetop Method

  • Pour about half an inch of water into a large saucepan. Then, put something like a steamer rack to raise the moi moi off the bottom of the pot.
  • Gently place the ramekins in the steamer, cover them with a lid, and let them steam for about 45 minutes to an hour. Add a little water as needed to prevent it from drying out completely.

Baking Method

  • Before blending the beans, preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Adjust oven rack to center position.
  • Gently place ramekins in the large baking pan. Carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
  • Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1-1½ hours.
  • Let your moi moi cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

With Banana Leaves (video instructions)

  • Pour about half an inch of water into the bottom of a Dutch oven or large pot. Then, put a steamer or a few banana leaves to raise the moi moi off the bottom of the pot.
  • Using small to medium-sized banana leaves, double up the leaves and fold them to make a funnel. Gentle fold back to the bottom of your funnel.
  • Pour about ½ cup of moi moi batter into the leaf funnel and add the boiled egg and/or smoked fish. Then, gently twist the top of the funnel and fold it back firmly. Make sure to seal it well so there's no leakage.
  • Place the moi moi on the steamer or banana leaves and close the pot.
  • Let it steam for about 45 minutes to an hour, adding a little water every 5-10 minutes to prevent it from burning or drying out.
  • Let your moi moi cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Tips & Notes:

  • Some ethnic stores sell pre-peeled black-eyed peas! Peeled beans are an excellent option to save a few minutes. You can usually find them in the freezer section.
  •  The best part about this dish is the utterly smooth texture. My advice? Puree the ingredients a few more minutes than you might think necessary. Grainy moi moi isn’t nearly as tasty.
  •  Check the water level frequently when cooking! If the water runs dry in your pot or baking sheet, you’ll likely end up with burnt/dry pudding.
  • Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1moi moi| Calories: 452kcal (23%)| Carbohydrates: 38g (13%)| Protein: 33g (66%)| Fat: 42g (65%)| Saturated Fat: 4g (25%)| Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g| Monounsaturated Fat: 25g| Trans Fat: 0.1g| Cholesterol: 141mg (47%)| Sodium: 769mg (33%)| Potassium: 1142mg (33%)| Fiber: 7g (29%)| Sugar: 7g (8%)| Vitamin A: 2043IU (41%)| Vitamin C: 58mg (70%)| Calcium: 105mg (11%)| Iron: 6mg (33%)
Author: Imma
Course: Main
Cuisine: African
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Comments & Reviews
  1. Immaculate Bites says

    Posted on 5/4 at 1:01AM

    Hi Lloyd! This is for 3-4 servings, I was able to make 6-8 moin moins, but this can depend also on the size of your baking cups 🙂 Please let me know how it goes. Enjoy!

    Reply
  2. Marcus says

    Posted on 3/14 at 3:26PM

    4 stars
    This sounds delicious.

    My local Hispanic market carries fresh Black-eyed peas. Can those be used or am I better off using dried beans?

    Reply
    • Immaculate Bites says

      Posted on 3/16 at 7:43PM

      You can use fresh black eyes peas, Marcus. Let us know how it turns out! Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Don Morgan says

    Posted on 2/22 at 5:21PM

    If the beans are soaked overnight, should they be put in the fridge? I feel like they would just ferment if I left them out on the counter for 24 hrs. But maybe that’s a good thing?

    Reply
    • ImmaculateBites says

      Posted on 2/23 at 6:30PM

      Mine doesn’t ferment . . You can soak it for a shorter amount of time if desired .

      Reply
  4. Maria Julian says

    Posted on 10/3 at 11:30AM

    Hello! Do you think this could be made in a muffin tin instead of ramekins?

    Reply
    • ImmaculateBites says

      Posted on 10/4 at 5:50AM

      Yes it can.

      Reply
      • Maria says

        Posted on 10/9 at 8:50AM

        Thank you!

  5. Laura says

    Posted on 8/10 at 8:27PM

    How long do these last once cooked? And what is the best way to store it? Thank you

    Reply
    • ImmaculateBites says

      Posted on 8/26 at 5:34PM

      They can last for up to a month or even more . Let it cool , tightly wrap or place in a ziplock bag before freezing

      Reply
  6. Nelo says

    Posted on 6/28 at 7:10PM

    I used 1/2 cup of oil, turned out to be too much and the pudding didn’t poach. So sad…

    Reply
    • ImmaculateBites says

      Posted on 6/29 at 12:47PM

      Hi Nelo! I am so sorry your Moin Moin did not turn out okay. Next time, use 1/4 cup of oil, and also make sure the steaming process is properly done. This will ensure your moin moin cooks through. Hope this helps :).

      Reply
  7. Iyasus says

    Posted on 8/16 at 9:42AM

    Greetings! I simply adore your website Please keep up the great work Also can you use fresh black eyed peas for the Moin Moin recipe? Have an awesome day Thank you

    Iyasus

    Reply
    • ImmaculateBites says

      Posted on 8/16 at 7:02PM

      Yes, you can Iyasus.

      Reply
  8. Queen says

    Posted on 7/24 at 4:51AM

    I thought they put eggs inside the moin moin and spices like paprika is difficult to find in Cameroon

    Reply
    • ImmaculateBites says

      Posted on 7/25 at 4:49PM

      It’s a matter of preference to include eggs. You can certainly leave the paprika out if it’s not readily available

      Reply
  9. mbelu says

    Posted on 5/17 at 1:35PM

    hi. the crayfish is the measurement in cups or tsp? thanks

    Reply
    • ImmaculateBites says

      Posted on 5/17 at 6:31PM

      Recipe updated Mbelu. Thanks

      Reply
  10. mbelu says

    Posted on 4/8 at 12:12AM

    Hello
    what happens if you do not peel the beans ?

    Reply
    • ImmaculateBites says

      Posted on 4/8 at 8:02AM

      I have never tried it with unpeeled beans. But have seen several recipes using beans that have not been peeled.

      Reply
  11. Duni says

    Posted on 2/15 at 3:58AM

    Hi Immaculate,

    The presentation of your dishes are very good. Dis you do a food presentation course?

    Reply
    • ImmaculateBites says

      Posted on 2/15 at 4:35AM

      Thanks Duni, no food presentation course for me. Just trial and error plus frequently visiting other food websites, and reading cook books.

      Reply
  12. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

    Posted on 9/15 at 12:42AM

    Never heard of Moin Moin before.. you learn something new everyday! Thanks for sharing, they look delicious and I definitely am curious to know what they taste like.

    Reply
  13. ImmaculateBites says

    Posted on 9/8 at 1:50PM

    Miriam , No worries. I have updated recipe with instructions of how to peel beans from another Moin Moin recipe. Let me know it works for you.

    Reply
  14. miriam says

    Posted on 9/6 at 11:45PM

    Hey Immaculate, u forgot to show how to remove the skin from the beans

    Reply
  15. Librarian Lavender says

    Posted on 9/6 at 10:13AM

    5 stars
    This looks so delicious, great recipe! I can’t wait to try it :).

    Reply

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