Moin-Moin w/ Recipe

I have been lazy with cooking lately. Dinner in the last few days have been something easy to put together without much thought or works. So, I have decided to get off my lazy bum and get back in the mix of things. I have been craving Moin-Moin for a while now but I've been putting it aside for one reason or the other. I finally decided to make it yesterday and it couldn't have been a better timing.

Ingredients
2 cups Beans I used brown beans ( can substitute black eye peas)
1 Medium red bell pepper
2 Habanero pepper
1/2 Medium onions
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 knorr cubes
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp palm oil (optional)
4 hard boiled eggs
6oz corned beef (can substitute with fish or any other kind of meat)

Directions
1. Measure beans into a big bowl

2. Fill up the bowl with hot tap water a couple of inches above the peas level and allow to soak for 2 hours
3.Boil eggs, chop into desired size and set aside
4. After soaking time place bowl in a clean sink, grab a hand full of beans with both hands and start rubbing beans in between palm until the skin starts to fall off. Repeat numerous times

5. The skin should be floating on the top so drain the skin into a colander, keeping the beans in the bowl

6. Add more clean water and start rubbing again
7. Repeat step 4, 5 and 6  until almost all if not all beans skin is off and all that is left are the white beans. The whole process takes about 20 minutes

8. Add red bell pepper, tomato paste, onions, and habanero pepper to bowl

9. In a blender, add 1/3 of the bowl content and just enough water to aid the blender in the blending process and blend until smooth*
10. Empty blended puree into another bowl and repeat step 9 until all is blended.
11. Mix well together to get a nice consistency  using a wooden spoon
12. Put knorr cubes in a small bowl and add 2 tbsp of water. Microwave for about 10secs to melt and dissolve the cubes. Stir well with a spoon to make sure all is dissolved, then add to the puree mixture

 13. Add vegetable and palm oil and salt and stir well

14. Break up the corned beef with a fork, add to puree mixture and stir well till it's evenly distributed. Add eggs and stir lightly
15. Fold and prepare foil wrap. cut about 1 1/2 foot long foil, fold in half. Then fold bottom and side edges over multiple times (3-4 folds) tightly. Try to avoid poking any holes in the foil from this point through the steaming process. You don't want the content leaking out while steaming it.

16. Using a serving spoon, portion mixture into fold pockets, close up the top by folding over a couple of times and place in a bowl
17. Layer the bottom of a large pot with foil or a steaming basket, fill with water and allow to boil
18. Arrange foil pockets carefully into boiling water and cover pot tightly

19. Allow to steam on low heat for about 45 minutes checking on it occasionally to make sure the water is not dried up. If it is drying up, add more hot water
20. Remove foil pockets from pot and allow to cool for about 5 - 10 minutes
21. Unwrap and serve. Moin moin should be firm to touch after exposure to air for a few min

To make the moment even better I served the moin-moin with some garri (dried cassava).

Garri with sugar, powder milk and ice

Moment of truth

*Avoid adding too much water. You don't want the mixture to be too watery or too think for that matter. So, if more water is needed once all is blended. You can add some water to the empty blender cup and rinse the remaining remnant into the mixture

Notes: The traditional way to make moin-moin is to steam it in banana leaves, but since that's not available the next most typical way is to steam in foil wrappers. I'm going to invest in some ramekins, so the I can use that the next time I make them instead of the foil.
I've also heard there's an easier way to get the skin off the peas, which involves using a food processor.  I think I'll try that next time. But I'm not complaining about using my hands, I kind of enjoy the process, it's almost like playing with peas.

Updates: Alternative process to dehusking the beans to speed up the process: I have actually tried it and it works. Also saves time when moin moin is not the only dish you are making and you don't have all day. Put the beans in a blender, add water to almost twice the level of the beans. Pulse for 2-3sec duration. Repeat pulse 10-13 times. Empty into a bowl and finish dehusking by rubbing between palms. Another option for the cooking process; you can baked in a baking dish at 350 degree F for 1 hour or until beans puree is set and solid.