Moi Moi in Cabbage Leaves
Moi Moi is one of those widely consumed Nigerian dishes. It is generally served with corn pap, rice or drinking garri (dried fermented cassava grits). When you are thinking of light meal low in carbohydrate, in the Nigerian sense, this is one dish to aim for.
Wrapping Moi Moi in leaves is something I learnt as a very young girl… How could you not learn with an Efik mum like mine. So I really do like the versions wrapped in leaves.
But going the cabbage route is my creative twist to have some vegetables with the Moi Moi.. Above all it is simply pretty presenting this favourite steamed Nigerian Beans Pudding in a different way.
Authorg2nMoi Moi with a special twist
Blend the beans till smooth with very little water. A good tip is to wash your beans the night before, soak in water and leave in the fridge and it will be easy on your blender.
Heat the oil, fry the onion, tomato/pepper. Add the fish, shrimp and seasoning. Taste for salt and correct seasoning. Cook the stew until tomato sourness goes off.
Pour the stew into the ground beans, add the ginger and mix well.
Add a little water to beans paste if too thick. Consistency, should not be runny either.
Peel off Cabbage leaves and wash. Use large cabbage leaves to make wrapping easy. To make the leaves easy to bend soak in hot water for just 1 minute and cool off immediately in cold water.
Cut up strings to use in tying each Moi Moi parcel.
Scoop Moi Moi mix onto cabbage leaves. Fold thick part of leaf up and fold down the soft upper side. Tuck in the sides to close up the parcel, tie the parcel gently with strings.
Place on a steamer and steam without letting water touch the parcels directly. Allow to cook for about 45 minutes.
Take out parcels, allow to cool a bit and serve with the cabbage leaves as side dish to rice or with tea. Cooking Tip: It is important that the cabbage parcels are cooked with steam and not dipped in water. Whist you may not have the Chinese vegetable and rice steamer, you can sufficiently raise your Moi Moi out of water by placing the parcels on a raised platform in the pot. Add water a little at a time.
Ingredients
Directions
Blend the beans till smooth with very little water. A good tip is to wash your beans the night before, soak in water and leave in the fridge and it will be easy on your blender.
Heat the oil, fry the onion, tomato/pepper. Add the fish, shrimp and seasoning. Taste for salt and correct seasoning. Cook the stew until tomato sourness goes off.
Pour the stew into the ground beans, add the ginger and mix well.
Add a little water to beans paste if too thick. Consistency, should not be runny either.
Peel off Cabbage leaves and wash. Use large cabbage leaves to make wrapping easy. To make the leaves easy to bend soak in hot water for just 1 minute and cool off immediately in cold water.
Cut up strings to use in tying each Moi Moi parcel.
Scoop Moi Moi mix onto cabbage leaves. Fold thick part of leaf up and fold down the soft upper side. Tuck in the sides to close up the parcel, tie the parcel gently with strings.
Place on a steamer and steam without letting water touch the parcels directly. Allow to cook for about 45 minutes.
Take out parcels, allow to cool a bit and serve with the cabbage leaves as side dish to rice or with tea. Cooking Tip: It is important that the cabbage parcels are cooked with steam and not dipped in water. Whist you may not have the Chinese vegetable and rice steamer, you can sufficiently raise your Moi Moi out of water by placing the parcels on a raised platform in the pot. Add water a little at a time.
