How to make better Moin Moin (Moi Moi) – Why is my Moin Moin Mushy?

How to make better Moin Moin (Moi moi) – Why is my Moin moin mushy? I have heard this question over and over again and I will like to address it today. Moin moin is quite easy to make but it can be quite tricky if you don’t know the basics. I will be sharing some tips on how to make Moin moin moist and firm.

When I say moist, I don’t mean mushy, who likes a mushy Moin moin anyways? I mean the Moin moin that is not dried out and crusty and this usually happens when the baking method is used to prepare the Moin moin without taking proper precautions; and when I say firm I mean Moin moin that holds together and don’t fall apart when served.

Moin moin

Now, lets go into the basics of how to make Moin Moin

1. Soaking the Beans: I know we need to soak the Beans before peeling it, but sometimes even after the peeling, the Beans can still be hard, be sure to soak the Beans again in water until it’s soft.Don’t be in a rush to blend. If you blend the Beans when its still hard it will come out grainy and that will prevent the Moin Moin from binding together well when you cook it.

2. Eliminate Tomatoes or any Tomato-based products: Tomato is very juicy and adding Tomato or even Tomato-based products to your moin moin will loosen the bond in your Moin Moin so try to eliminate this when making Moin Moin. In addition to that, Tomatoes will make your Moin moin go sour in a little time. 

3. Excess Water:  It’s very important not to let your Moin moin be too watery. If the water content in the moin moin is too much it will not bind together when you cook it, hence, your moin moin will turn out mushy.

4. Sealing the moin moin: It’s a good idea to seal up the moin moin properly before cooking it, this will prevent the steam from settling over the it and this steam can also seep through it during the steaming process and this can ruin the Moin moin.

5. Undercooked Moin moin: This is a mistake that is often made as well. Some Moin moin recipes calls for 30 minutes cooking which is fine but you need to take into consideration the type of container used in this recipe. The smaller containers will definitely cook faster than the ones cooked in a large container Cooking it halfway will also result in a Mushy Moin Moin.

6. Allow the Moin moin to cool down: Leaving the moin moin to cool a little before serving it also helps to harden it as long as it’s well cooked. You can also put it in the fridge for a couple of minutes before serving it.

7. If the steaming method does not work for you, try the baking method. Yes it’s that easy, experiment on the method that suits you and stick to it.

After after all said and done, if you have tried all the above and your moin moin is still not binding together, feel free to beat in 1 or 2 raw eggs together with your blended beans before cooking it. The Egg will serve as a binder and thus help your Moin Moin to stay in shape. 

HAPPY COOKING!