How to Make Moi Moi (Steamed Bean Pudding)

Moi moi is a savoury steamed pudding made from peeled beans blended with peppers and onion, seasoned and steamed until firm. Soft, dense and gently spiced, it is eaten at breakfast, served beside jollof rice at every party, and packed into lunchboxes.

The whole dish turns on two things: blending the batter genuinely smooth, and seasoning it properly before it goes into the steamer.

Prep 30m · Cook 1h · Serves 8

What you need

• 3 cups peeled beans (or 2½ cups bean flour)
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1–2 scotch bonnet peppers
• 1 onion
• ⅓ cup vegetable or palm oil
• 2 stock cubes
• 2 tbsp ground crayfish
• 3 boiled eggs, sliced (optional)
• Salt to taste

How to make it

1. If using whole peeled beans, soak them for 2–3 hours until softened. If using bean flour, skip to step 3.
2. Blend the beans with the red peppers, scotch bonnet and onion, adding water a little at a time. Blend until completely smooth — grit here means grit in the finished moi moi.
3. Thin the batter with warm water until it is pourable but not watery, roughly the consistency of thick pancake batter.
4. Stir in the oil, stock cubes, ground crayfish and salt. Taste the raw batter and adjust — this is your only chance to season it.
5. Pour into ramekins, foil containers or banana leaves, filling about three-quarters full to leave room to rise. Tuck in a slice of egg if using.
6. Steam over simmering water for 45–60 minutes, keeping the water topped up. It is ready when a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean and the pudding feels set rather than wobbly.
7. Let it rest 10 minutes before turning out.

Moi moi and akara — the same beginning

Akara, the fried bean fritter eaten at breakfast across West Africa, starts from the same blended peeled beans. The difference is the water: akara batter is stiff and whipped to trap air before frying, while moi moi batter is loosened and steamed.

Shop peeled beans, bean flour and ground crayfish.

Questions people ask

What are peeled beans?

Beans with the skins removed — the step that stands between raw beans and smooth moi moi. Doing it by hand means soaking and rubbing the beans until the skins float off; buying them ready-peeled removes that work entirely.

Can I make moi moi with bean flour?

Yes, and it is much quicker. Whisk the flour with warm water to a smooth batter, then season and steam exactly as you would the blended version. The texture is slightly finer.

Why is my moi moi watery?

Too much water in the batter. It should be pourable but thick — closer to a batter than a liquid. Adding oil also helps it set.

What do you eat moi moi with?

It stands alone at breakfast, sits beside jollof rice at parties, and is eaten with pap or custard in the morning. It is also good with bread.

Shop the ingredients

• Peeled beans
• Beans & bean flour
• Ground crayfish
• Palm & cooking oil